


Perfect Partnership

by Searching4stars



Category: Figure Skating RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe, Brief mentions of PTSD, Doctor - Freeform, Eventual Smut, Eventual non-platonic bed sharing, F/M, Light Bondage, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Platonic Bed Sharing, Secrets, Spanking, Spy - Freeform, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-15
Updated: 2019-03-07
Packaged: 2019-10-28 21:49:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 85,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17795360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Searching4stars/pseuds/Searching4stars
Summary: The players: Scott Moir - Retired Special Forces and current CSIS Agent / Dr. Tessa Virtue - VP of Virtue Designs, leading expert in biological agents/neural mappingThe petitioner: The Canadian GovernmentThe proposal: Marry one another and become the most effective spy team in historyThe duration: Five yearsThe hypothesis: His military/spy training and her biological/neural expertise will form an unstoppable forceThe result:...





	1. The Proposition

**Author's Note:**

> I hadn't really planned to write anything else quite so soon, but I was feeling inspired. I know there are a few spy AUs out there, but I think this will be a slightly different take on the topic.

Scott stared at the orders in front of him without bothering to disguise his skepticism. He was a soldier, or at least he had been until eight months ago when he joined the Canadian Security Intelligence Service.

As a highly decorated member of Joint Task Force 2, he had been deployed on more classified missions than he could count. CSIS had recruited him for his unique skill set.

During his time with the organization, he had already aided a coup in an Africa, revealed two corrupt politicians, and prevented a bombing in Vancouver.

Yet looking at the paperwork in his hands he wasn’t sure how to process what he was being asked to do. Of course he could decline the mission, but he was accustomed to following orders…it had been ingrained in his DNA for the past ten years.

He glanced up from his orders to the watchful eyes of his handler, General Andrew Lawson. The older man broke the silence. “What are you thinking Scott?”

After a moment’s hesitation he replied, “Permission to speak freely?”

“Granted.”

“Is CSIS sure this is a good idea? This woman, from what I have read, is a civilian. Clearly, she is exceptionally brilliant, but she is not a soldier, and certainly not a spy. Who came up with this plan? Has it been field-tested? Does this woman know what she is getting herself into or am I simply supposed to charm her into marrying me?”

There…it was on the table. The mission, to marry a woman named Tessa Virtue. She held not one, but two Ph.Ds. and was one of the foremost authorities on biological agents and neural mapping.

She also happened to be worth several billion dollars. Virtue Designs was a think tank company founded by Tessa’s parents. She was now their Vice President of Research and Development.

Virtue Designs sold ideas and products to technological, pharmaceutical, and scientific corporations around the world – not to mention their government contracts.

Aside from being brilliant and wealthy, she was also very philanthropically minded. Her foundation specialized in providing research grants and scholarships to underprivileged, but deserving students. On paper, she was remarkable, but nowhere in the file had he seen anything about training to be a spy.

The General took up Scott’s inquiry with a quiet smile. “Tessa is remarkable. It would be difficult to find another person on the planet whose opinion is so often sought. She graduated from the University of Toronto at fifteen, finished her graduate work by twenty-one, and has been prolifically publishing and researching since she was a teenager.”

Scott’s gaze clearly communicated that he was not assured by this declaration as Andrew continued, “She does know about our proposition, and has many of the same questions as you. This precise theory has not been field-tested. Of course CSIS has had married couples in the past who have worked together. However, those relationships have always evolved naturally. We also have agents who pose as husband and wife on a regular basis, but we believe that developing a long-term team would be helpful, more genuine.”

Scott couldn’t quite suppress his scoff, “Genuine? We’re spies – you’re worried about being genuine?”

General Lawson ignored his outburst, “We are asking for five years – you would simply think of it as a job. The two of you would decide what restrictions to place on each other – and how far you are willing to take things, but there are obvious issues that you will need to consider. For instance, overt flirting or cheating with another person, while perhaps tempting would be frowned upon in a real relationship. Those are all details that can be smoothed out as you go, the real issue is, are you willing to meet and give it a try?”

Scott stared out the window. “Why her? Why not another CSIS agent?”

General Lawson suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. “You know why. The two of you would be an unstoppable team. You have the practical and tactical training needed to be a spy. However, you know as well as anyone that many of the threats we are faced with today have as much to do with brains as the ability to fire a gun – no offense to you own highly decorated academic career. We need a team that can handle both aspects of the job. You would be our go to team for countless missions. I doubt the two of you would have much downtime at all.”

Scott smiled for the first time since reading those orders. He had a Master’s degree in Multi-Cultural Communication.  He had graduated with honors, but compared to Tessa Virtue, he looked like a high-school dropout. “Well, if she’s game I’m willing to at least meet her.”

Standing, General Lawson shook his hand. “Good man, here’s your information packet. All the details are contained in these files. You know the protocol. Wipe all memory once you have reviewed the data. Your meeting will appear to be unplanned. Let me know what the two of you decide.”

Walking back into the warm Ottawa sun, Scott opened the envelope that held his future. There was a ticket for a seminar, one week from today. Tessa was one of the speakers.

He would wait until he got home to read the other files since they were digital, but he felt an intense wave of curiosity sweep over him as he wondered what she would be like.

CSIS was attempting to enact a plot that, until yesterday, he would have argued only happened in movies. Unfortunately, this was real life, the bullets actually killed people, and there were no green screens or second takes.

He was hesitant to drag a civilian into the mess of his daily life, but he was willing to talk with her. It would be fascinating to meet a genius.

* * *

Sitting in a group of 50 other people waiting for a seminar on subconscious biological decision theory to start Scott was less confident of his decision.

Some of the audience was clearly excited to be there. A few had been dragged by a significant others, some were attending because of company policy, or at a professor’s recommendation. Tessa was co-presenting with a popular self-help guru, Dr. Marie-France Dubreuil.

He was mildly surprised that one of the world’s leading scientific minds was willing to share the stage with someone who seemed more interested in social norms than scientific data.

At last, the two presenters took to the stage. Scott was relieved to see that Tessa appeared to be engaging and enthusiastic instead of the staid academic figure he feared she would be.

While he understood the main points of the lecture, he also had moments of confusion as the two women walked through mountains of data that had been obtained in recent experiments.

After the presentation finished a whole line of people formed to ask questions of the speakers.

Scott joined the admiring throng, listening with interest to the questions and answers being shared. It also gave him the opportunity to study his prospective partner…wife…in greater detail.

She was petite with dark hair, piercing green eyes, and an adorable sprinkling of freckles. Her build could only be described as fit. He would be willing to wager she worked out on a regular basis. Their eyes met briefly as a flicker of recognition dawned in her gaze before she went back to her explanation of game theory analysis and the way it had been refined through years of biological conditioning.

As publishers and managers started ushering others away, Scott made his move. “That was an interesting discussion.”

Tessa stared at the man before her; he was about average height with dark curly hair and warm brown eyes. His manner was relaxed and winning.

It was easy to guess that he was accustomed to being able to charm his way out of almost any situation. However, his muscular frame could clearly handle any resistance he might meet. According to his file, he was retired Special Forces, spoke three different languages, was an expert in hand-to-hand combat, and could shoot with an accuracy most snipers would envy.

Mirroring his calm demeanor, she offered, “Thank you, are you familiar with biological decision theory?”

Scott grinned, “Actually, I’m not very familiar with the technical terms associated with it, but after hearing your discussion it’s clearly a concept we use on a daily basis. Have you and Dr. Dubreuil worked together for very long?”

An event manager was motioning for Tessa to leave, but she ignored the man and continued talking with her new acquaintance. “We worked together on a joint project several years ago – not long after I graduated from College. We became good friends, and it was a natural pairing – she deals with the practical behavioral side of the equations and I deal with the data. It is a formula that has served our purposes through several collaborations.”

He decided to test her ability to lie under pressure, since their annoying third wheel showed no sign of leaving, “What prompted the two of you to set up today’s seminar?”

She didn’t blink as she answered, “Actually a good friend of ours, Dr. Menard, who works at The University of Ottawa coordinated the event. He knew that Marie and I would both be in the area. I just finished addressing several committees in Parliament and Marie is guest lecturing for the next two weeks. All we had to do was show up and share our research.”

He was impressed with how easily she had uttered those last statements – they were partially true, but liberally undergirded with lies. He also knew that he was going to have to turn up his level of charisma if he wanted the manager to believe that he and Tessa had hit it off and were going to dinner.

Offering his most sincere smile along with his hand he added, “Forgive my manners, I’m Scott Moir. A buddy of mine from the Army mentioned that I should come hear you lecture. He was suitably awed by a workshop you conducted for their squadron a while back. I must say he was right on all points…including the fact that you are quite beautiful.”

Tessa resisted the urge to flush at this praise. It was all part of the game. He was selling their story for the first time – to their first audience. Matching his half-playful, half-sincere tone, she laughed, “I must get your friend to endorse my next research paper if he is saying such nice things.”

The manager rolled his eyes. Scott decided to have mercy on the man and moved to the next step. “I was wondering if I could take you to dinner. I know a great Italian restaurant in the area.”

Continuing on their pre-scripted discussion Tessa replied, “That is a wonderful offer, but I have an early flight tomorrow…maybe you could join me for an early dinner at my hotel. They say the chef is excellent.”

He quickly agreed and they arranged a time to meet. Going their separate ways, it wasn’t difficult to imagine what the other was thinking.

Would further conversation reveal a personality and character that the other could live with for the next five years? Would serving their country be sufficient motivation to commit to such a nonsensical endeavor? Could they lie to their families for the next five years? Could they navigate the awkward first stages of pretending to get to know one another when they had already read a condensed version of each other’s lives in black and white print?

* * *

Tessa descended the broad staircase wondering if Scott had already taken a seat at the table she reserved earlier in the afternoon. She had changed into a cocktail dress, but tried not to think too much about her appearance.

It was difficult to know how to proceed. After all, there were government officials wanting her to marry this man, but what if they hated one another? What if he chewed with his mouth open or couldn’t stand her restless nights?

When CSIS approached her about their latest proposal, she told them they were crazy. Of course she had worked with them before, along with the NSA, CIA, MI-5 and MI-6, Australian Intelligence and almost every other country considered to be the “good guys.”

Yet she had never considered becoming a field agent. Still, the more they had explained their plan, the more it made sense.

She could understand why they wanted to pair Scott and her together. They were the missing halves of each other. The perfect team.

If they could sell the story of their relationship, they would be unstoppable. Still, she wasn’t sure how she felt about marrying a stranger.

Finding his eyes across the room as she followed the concierge, she wondered if he had many of the same questions floating around in his mind.

Scott watched his future wife, if all went according to plan, approach. She had changed into a slightly more formal dress which made him happy he opted for his blazer instead of just the shirt he had been wearing earlier in the day.

He stood to greet her, lightly kissing her cheek. “You look beautiful.”

She offered a wry smile as she took her seat, “You don’t look so bad yourself.”

The next hour was spent in conversation about facts that they already knew. The topics were flagging – it was exhausting to pretend to discuss and be interested in information they had already read. During a pause, Tessa turned to him in genuine curiosity for the first time. “What does it feel like in those final moments before you attack…during a mission?”

This was a departure from their former discussion, but if this relationship was going to work, they needed some spontaneity. 

Scott’s gaze rested on some distant point, but his mind was a thousand miles away reliving those seconds before breach – before bullets started flying or before they began silently wending their way through dark tunnels disabling their targets.

After a lengthy pause he answered, “Quiet…it feels quiet. All the adrenaline, training, debriefing…it all goes very still and I just focus on breathing – I search for the one peaceful space in my brain and try to inhabit that area for as long as possible. It kept me sane when the chaos started. I know other soldiers felt different things, but that is as close as I can get to describing what I experienced.”

Tessa was enraptured. This was her area of expertise – mapping the human brain, finding the connections between emotions expressed, where they originated, and why it affected some people differently than others.

Dozens of questions poured from her as Scott was forced into quite a bit of introspection as he attempted to answer her queries. It was a challenge to follow some of her logical progressions, but she stopped every so often to illustrate her points and elaborate on her past research.

He wasn’t sure if he could handle many nights like this, but he couldn’t deny that he was intrigued and impressed.

Catching glimpses into her mind was like free diving. The more you did it the deeper you could go. With training, it would become easier, but no matter how good you got there were areas that would remain mysteries.

Yet there was no arrogance. She didn’t name drop to impress or gain credibility, she simply asked questions, almost pulling her audience along because no one loves themselves more than themselves and she gave free reign to self-disclosure.

Finally, almost by mutual agreement, they seemed to take a collective breath.

Looking at his watch Scott’s eyebrows winged upward. “It is nine o’clock. We’ve been sitting here for three hours.”

Surprise flitted through Tessa’s eyes, but she returned to their pre-planned evening with ease. “I didn’t realize it was so late. I should let you go.”

He followed her lead. “What time is your flight tomorrow morning?”

“Eight-thirty. I’ll probably get to the airport around seven-thirty. I’m not much of a morning person.”

 As he paid for their bill, leaving an extra generous tip for their long stay, he contemplated his next statement. According to the mission dossier, he was supposed to “accidentally” end up on the same flight to Toronto, where she was traveling to visit her family. They were supposed to talk the whole flight and emerge already half in love with one another.

Yet there were so many things he wanted to say to her that couldn’t be discussed on a plane full of people.

Impulsively he reached for her hand, “I’ve had a wonderful time. I know you have an early start, but if you’re not much of a morning person then you must be something of a night owl. How about a moonlit walk?”

Tessa searched his eyes in surprise before responding, “I have to pack so I can’t do that, but if you don’t mind me multitasking while we talk you can come up to my hotel room.”

Following her to the elevator, he was willing to bet that this offer would not have been extended to most men she had just met.

Their unique situation allowed them to eschew certain concerns and almost all formalities. It was odd – they knew where they were headed with this relationship and were almost working backward at this point.

Walking through her hotel door, he was surprised to see the first thing she did was sweep for listening devices. He was silent as she worked, only offering a curious glance when she finished her evaluation. “We’re good to go.”

“Do you always look for bugs first thing when you walk into a room?”

She pulled a suitcase out of the closet and he promptly took it from her, sitting it on the bed where she indicated.

“I was working on a project for the NSA several years ago, when I was still in College. We were developing an “untraceable” bug. Of course that is a misnomer – in order to develop the bug you have to develop a way to test it. Anyway, when I brought one of the testers home from work on I noticed that I had a lot of beeping going on in my house. I had been bugged by all sorts of people. Thankfully, nothing had been compromised, but ever since then I always sweep my rooms. My watch serves as an initial sweep, but I always go a second round just to be sure.”

The entire time she had been talking, she was walking back and forth between the closet, the dresser, and her suitcase. Scott offhandedly inquired, “What was it like…graduating from College at fifteen?”

Pausing, she contemplated her answer for several moments. “Well…it was exciting. Everything I did was ahead of schedule. My professors, the Dean’s, everyone talked about what I would be doing in ten years if I was already able to accomplish so much at such a young age. I felt like a sponge, absorbing all the information I could collect – questioning every statement made without evidence to support it. Yet…it was also lonely. Most eighteen-year-old students don’t want to spend time with a child prodigy. My College experience was definitely unorthodox – and not just because of my age. I couldn’t live in the dorms, I couldn’t even drive to class. My parents practically reshaped their lives so that I could attend The University of Toronto. Of course we were privileged in the sense that they were able to make those changes.”

The conversation naturally moved on to subjects such as her parent’s work, her net worth – the blessings and challenges that had come with such enormous amounts of money. Her love of knowledge for knowledge’s sake, yet her realization  somewhere in the middle of Graduate school that merely knowing facts was not the highest purpose – the need to utilize her understanding for the greater good – her work with underprivileged children, her slowly taking over more of the actual business…it all flowed together as Scott found himself sharing in turn.

By four in the morning they were sitting across from each other, cheeks flushed with laughter and the sense of connection that can only be found through shared truths.

Tessa’s half-packed suitcase was still on the bed. She had long since abandoned any pretext of finishing that task.

Silence had fallen around them, as Scott offered her a small smile, “This might work you know.”

She didn’t pretend to not understand him. “I know…which is kind of terrifying. I told them they were crazy to even consider this idea. I mean on paper it is perfectly logical, but in reality it’s a little bizarre. Two strangers getting married, entangling families and lives for five years, and then breaking apart. Even if you could manage to keep feelings out of the equation…it would be difficult.”

He nodded in agreement. “Yes, but you never know where something might lead. If the two people hated each other they could always get an early divorce. CSIS wouldn’t be happy, but they couldn’t say no. Then again, the couple might actually develop a genuine partnership and be able to work together even after the experiment is over.”

He didn’t say what he was thinking, that the two might actually fall in love with each other and stay married. That was not part of the plan, and he didn’t want to scare her.

Still, he couldn’t deny the fact that the two of them had been talking for hours, and that they had covered more topics in that time than he had discussed with some of the girls he had dated for months. Tessa had a way of pulling information from you without making you feel judged or compelled.

Going their separate ways, both had a great deal on their minds. They already knew what they would tell CSIS. They would accept the mission.

It only remained to be seen what the next few years would hold. This grand experiment might blow up in their faces, but watching Tessa work while the plane taxied down the runway later that morning Scott knew that he was more than willing to take the risk.


	2. The Introductions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not 100% that Charlie's wife's name is Nicole - so we'll go for suspension of disbelief unless someone can provide me a confirmation on her real name. Enjoy the shenanigans before the mission begins.

Scott tried not to think about where he was headed. He and Tessa had been “dating” for three weeks and he was taking her to meet his parents in Ilderton.

He had tried explaining his family dynamics several times. The Moirs were a tightly knit group of people. He was incredibly close to his parents, two brothers, their wives, and kids.

However, none of them actually knew what he did. They thought he was a security consultant. This underlying ruse complicated matters considerably as he was forced to lie on a somewhat frequent basis.

Not to mention the fact that Tessa was a quiet introvert. His family was the living definition of outgoing.

They were an hour away from his parent’s house and he knew he had to say something. He couldn’t let his “girlfriend” walk into the middle of his wonderfully crazy family without warning.

Tessa wondered how long it would take Scott to share what was bothering him. They had talked intermittently during the first part of the trip, but he had fallen almost completely silent the past two hours.

She debated her options. They had promised to be honest and open with one another, but this felt more personal.

This was a new phase in their relationship. He was scheduled to go home with her next weekend to meet her family and if he was half as nervous as her, he must be ready to jump out of his skin.

He finally broke the silence, “How about we stretch our legs before we get there?”

While she was surprised by this suggestion, she agreed, hoping he would talk about whatever was troubling him. “Sure, is there somewhere in particular you wanted to go?”

“There’s a great little picnic area up ahead. We can grab a snack and explore.”

They had been “exploring” for ten minutes when Scott released a heartfelt sigh. “I’m not sure how to explain the situation we’re getting ready to walk into. I already told you that I’m incredibly close to my family, but they don’t know what I do. They’re just as in the dark as the rest of the world. I know it’s for their own protection, but I still feel guilty when I have to lie to them.”

Tessa could tell that this genuinely bothered him. Gently looping her arm through his she offered, “I’d imagine that’s quite a loaded sensation – being glad you can protect them, but feeling guilty for the deceit. That would create conflicting neural responses from anyone in your position.”

Scott couldn’t help the smile that broke over his face, “You know sometimes  I forget you’re a genius and then you pull out a response like that and I remember that you have a PhD in this stuff.”

Tessa rolled her eyes, but her blush was unmistakable, “I’m definitely not a genius, but I do understand your concern. I’ll be careful with what I say. At least since we’ve only been dating three weeks they can’t expect us to know one another perfectly.”

Scott’s gaze was still hesitant as he continued, “They’re also really loud…I know you tend to be more of an introvert. If the noise and the people get overwhelming at any point, let me know and we can get a hotel room.”

Trying to lighten the mood, Tessa teased, “Why Mr. Moir what a dreamy way to propose we spend the night with each other for the first time. I’m overwhelmed by your romantic gesture.”

It was Scott’s turn to flush as he stammered, “Hotel rooms, we can get hotel rooms. I don’t want to pressure you before…”

Tugging on his chin, she met his gaze, “I’m not ready to share a bed yet, but we do need to talk about…that side of the situation. I knew what I was signing up for. At some point, we will need to share a bed. We will probably share a lot more than that by the time five years is finished – especially since we will be one another’s only…um…recourse?”

Determined to be the mature senior agent in this situation, Scott deliberately suppressed the urge to flush…again, “We'll talk after this weekend? I’m willing to let you set the pace on that side of the relationship. I don’t know that anyone is ever completely comfortable having sex with their partner for a cover story, but you’re right. For a whole host of reasons I think we will eventually need to sleep with one another. I just want it to be as…uncomplicated as possible.”

Filing the way Scott said, “sex” away for later review, she tried not to analyze the disappointment she felt at his reduction of their potential intimacy to nothing more than a cover story.

Granted, that’s what they were, but on days like today when he was telling her about his family and he let her control the playlists it was easy to forget that they were training for combat.

His smile and laughing eyes constantly made her forget that at some point the adorably awkward introductions and twenty- one questions would stop. Eventually, they would be confronting real criminals, terrorists, and incredibly dangerous situations.

As he tugged her back towards the car, she tried to clear her thoughts. She was going to meet his family. They had a cover story to sell to an incredibly important group of people. If they couldn’t convince their families they were together, the rest of the story would be even more complicated.

It took her a minute to realize that he hadn’t let go. Her smaller hand fit perfectly into his larger, as if they had been made for each other.

They were headed into this together, and that was enough. It was going to have to be enough if they wanted this subterfuge to succeed.

* * *

 Opening the car door for Tessa, he viewed his childhood home with some trepidation. This weekend was going to be an adventure.

His mother practically burst out of the front door with excitement at the prospect of meeting the first girl he had ever bothered to bring home, “Scotty, I’ve missed you. Now introduce me to this sweet girl.”

He accepted his mother’s hug and gave her a kiss. “I’ve missed you too. Tessa, this is my mother Alma. Mom, this is Tessa.”

Alma didn’t even hesitate as she pulled Tessa into a hug. “I am so thrilled to meet you. Scotty has talked about nothing but you for the past several weeks. I can’t wait to get to know you better.”

Tessa smile appeared genuine as she returned his mother’s hug, “I’m so excited to meet you as well. You’ve raised a wonderful son.”

Alma was practically preening as she linked her arm through Tessa’s, “Well the influence of a good woman does wonders. Now come inside. Scotty said you like chocolate so I’ve made cookies and dinner will be ready shortly. I will warn you that once my other two boys get here with their families the house will be a little loud.”

“Scott did warn me, but I’m sure it will be fine. I have a large extended family so I’m not a complete stranger to busy houses.”

Four hours later, Tessa was beginning to reconsider her assessment. She was used to full houses, but the Moir family was at a completely different level. Not to mention that it had started raining like a monsoon.

Seriously, the weather was ridiculous for Canada at this time of year.

Dinner had been a raucous affair as Scott’s nieces and nephews clamored for Uncle Scott’s attention. It was clear that the adoration was mutual.

Considering his background, Tessa wouldn’t have labeled Scott as a family enthusiast, but it was clear that he was close to all of them. She could see why it would be difficult for him to lie constantly.

As the night continued to lengthen, and the storm showed no signs of abatement, Scott’s older brothers began to worry.

They had young children who needed to go to bed before the hysterical laughter turned to tears…and then the lights went out.

After panicked screams had be quieted and the backup generator was activated Joe made a few calls before reporting, “It’s just as I expected. There are trees down all over the place and lightning just hit a power line. Boys I don’t think you should leave tonight. Between the rain, stray limbs, and who knows what else, it’s too risky.”

Danny and Charlie seemed to have silent conversations with their wives before nodding, “Yeah, you’re probably right, but where are you planning to stash everyone?”

Alma quickly jumped in, “Well Danny and Tess, his Tessa that is, will obviously take his old room. Charlie and Nicole will take his. Scott’s Tessa will take his old room. Scott you can take the couch up here and we’ll make pallets for the kids. Everyone will be fine.”

Watching Scott’s face, Tessa could tell that he wanted to grumble, but he couldn’t do that without sounding uncaring.

Still, she felt bad. He had been up so early, had driven them the entire way to Ilderton, had played with his nieces and nephews all day, and was now being consigned to the couch. Before she fully considered how it would sound, she offered, “Oh it’s fine for Scott to share with me.”

She could swear everything froze, as everyone, including Scott, looked at her in complete shock. She couldn’t back out now, especially since she had just insinuated that Scott and her were sleeping together – after three weeks of dating.

Thankfully, Alma seemed to recover somewhat quickly, “Oh, well Tessa that’s very kind of you to offer, but Scott did specify that you would need two different rooms…I don’t want you to feel pressured to let him…ummm…”

Scott finally seemed to regain the use of his tongue, “Mom, its fine. I…we weren’t going to tell you guys exactly where…um…exactly how far along we are in our relationship. Everything is new, and we’re adjusting too. Still, with the storm of the century happening outside I guess fate had other ideas.”

* * *

 Staring at one of the Maple Leaf’s posters hanging on Scott’s wall later that night, Tessa tried to block the past couple of hours from her memory.

This was not the ideal first impression she planned to make on her future in-laws, and it was definitely not the way she planned to sleep with Scott for the first time.

Not that they were doing anything other than sleeping – especially not in his childhood bedroom with his entire family in the house.

No, they would very platonically share the double-sized bed, very platonically keep their hands entirely to themselves, and very platonically _not_ consider how the other person’s lips might feel when crashed to their own.

Scott closing the door stirred her from her somewhat non-PG rated thoughts. His gaze was careful as he offered, “I'll take the floor.”

She considered his offer for five seconds, (he knows because he was counting), before shaking her head, “No, we’re going to be living in each other’s space for the next five years. We might as well get used to it. Although, I have to admit that this wasn’t exactly the way I imagined us sharing a bed for the first time.”

He couldn’t quite keep flirtation out of his voice as he asked, “You imagined us sharing a bed?”

Tessa knew she was blushing as she practically stammered, “I…I mean we need to imagine it…think about it…we agreed we’d talk about it…we….”

“T, it's fine. You just said you weren't ready to share a bed. I'll take the floor."

She tugged on his hand until they were both standing at the foot of his bed. "I know what I said, and I'm not ready to do anything else, but I'm fine - really - with sharing a bed. Like you said...fate had other ideas."

He studied her for several heartbeats before asking, "What side do you sleep on?”

Breathing a sigh of relief she smiled, “I normally sleep on the right side, but I’m fine with whatever you prefer.”

Handing her an extra phone charger, he climbed under the covers, “I normally sleep on the left side so that’s perfect. Night T.”

Climbing under the covers, she spares a thought for the new nickname he had just created for her. The notion that all the other letters of her name were superfluous, unnecessary (because who else would he mean) does nothing to calm the agitation coursing through her frame.

She wanted to snuggle into Scott’s side for comfort and run home to Montreal by turns.

The man in question seemed to have no such misgivings as his breathing evened out almost instantly…his expression far more relaxed and at peace than normal.

He was right there. His eyelashes fanned against his cheek, his lips parted just slightly, his hair flopped over his forehead, his solid muscular chest rising and falling in rhythm…it was going to be a long night.

Scott’s eyes fluttered open as the sun filtered through the curtains. Last night had been an adventure.

His future wife slept, to put it delicately, restlessly…non-delicately, she flailed like an albatross losing altitude.

He had been incredibly tempted to pull her into his arms and hold her still, but that seemed like it would be a step beyond their current relationship.

Still, he had to admit he’d go through all of that again for this moment. In all of his thoughts about Tessa (and he had quite a few), he had never considered what it would be like to wake up with her.

To be able to watch the sun highlight the natural red in her hair, to be close enough to count the freckles on her cheeks, to see her shoulders peeking out from under the blankets, to watch her scrunch her nose like an adorable bunny.

It was a lot, and then there were her lips. They were inches from his own and so tempting, so plush…

There was a crash from somewhere below as the children clambered up the stairs from the basement. It was loud enough to wake any remaining sleepers.

Tessa’s green eyes flew open to meet his. He could almost see her cycle through an entire wheel of emotions as she remembered the night before.   

Something between amusement and regret settled on her face, “Did I keep you awake last night? I probably should have warned you that I’m a restless sleeper.”

Scott couldn’t quite resist teasing her as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, “Well, I only considered tying you to the headboard three times, but otherwise…it was fine.”

He was not prepared to analyze the way her eyes darkened or her hips inched forward he uttered the phrase, “tied you to the headboard”. Nope – not touching that one with a ten foot pole until they had clarification…lots of clarification…he wasn’t sure what kind – or what might need to be clarified…but they most definitely needed it…at least he did…oh God…it was too early for this.

They were saved by several insistent  knocks on the door, followed by at least three little voices echoing, “Uncle Scott, Aunt Tessa, Grandma said you have to get up. Breakfast is ready.”

The way his heart did a funny little leap hearing his nieces and nephews calling Tessa their Aunt was another thing he wasn’t prepared to analyze.

Nope, he was not going to contemplate the fact that none of this was real, that she would be Aunt Tessa for five years and no more, or that Tessa seemed to belong at their family breakfast table…those thoughts would definitely have to wait.

* * *

One week later, they found themselves in a similar situation – only with Tessa’s family. Everyone had descended on the lake cabin for the weekend to meet Scott.

Her dad had even driven down. Her mom and dad might be divorced, but they were still on speaking terms (due to corporate necessity and love for their children).

Tessa knew she still had some unresolved issues with her father, but their relationship was not a priority at the moment.

So far, everything had gone well. Kevin and Casey had taken Scott golfing, leaving her with some much needed girl time…only she should have guessed that the conversation might not be very relaxing.

Jordan’s voice was somewhere between exasperation and glee as she asked, “You’re really sleeping together already? Tessie you never do that. I’m so proud of you for living a little…and a mildly concerned that you’re overcompensating.”

Tessa had known this question was coming, in some permutation, but she still wasn’t quite sure how to respond.

The truth was not an option…and even if it were no one would believe her, “I know it seems sudden, but I’ve never felt like this about anyone else. Scott is…he knows what he wants and he dedicates his heart and soul to achieving his goals. He’s relentless, passionate, driven, and not at all motivated by money. He has a wonderful family, and he makes me smile…I never thought I’d be here…in this position, but I…I love him. Crazy as it sounds, if he proposed tomorrow I’d say yes.”

Shock, happiness, and concern flicker across her mom and Jordan’s faces in turn, but she needs them to get used to the idea so that when she shows up with a diamond on “that” finger next week (CSIS has a schedule to keep) they don’t collectively lose their minds.

“You’re sure darling? Scott seems lovely, but you barely know him.” Her mother’s tone was not judgmental, just worried, which Tessa was incredibly thankful for.

“I know, but we’ve spent hours talking. I’ve met his friends and family. I ran a background check. He served with distinction in Special Forces and he has already insisted that he sign a pre-nup if we get married. He doesn’t want any of my money – and doesn’t want there to be any confusion as to why we’re together. He’s a good guy.”

Kate and Jordan’s eyes are suspiciously teary at this declaration. In an effort to lighten the mood, Jordan quips, “Well if you’re talking about marriage, the sex must be pretty mind-blowing.”

Tessa can feel herself flush crimson. She is not ready to discuss her theoretical (and non-existent) sex life with Scott – especially not when it is becoming increasingly more difficult to fight her attraction to him.

They kiss now…a lot, but all for cover. Although there was that time three nights ago in her apartment…no one was there, but it was a moment of weakness…and then there was that back hallway at work…ok so maybe not all for cover.

Jordan’s eyebrows are near her hairline as she waits for an answer. Finally, Tessa settles for, “Scott is very…attentive…very…um…he’s just good…like really good, and he has something of an oral fixation which is…beneficial. Ok yes...the sex is ridiculously good - absurd even.”

Kate captured one of Tessa’s hands in her own, “You’re sure about this? If you say yes then I won’t ask again. I’ll trust that you know exactly what you’re doing. I just want you to be happy.”

Meeting her mother’s eyes with as much transparency as she can muster, Tessa nods, “Yes…he makes me happy…happier than I thought I could be. He’s it for me – I’m sure of it.”

Later that night, she can’t decide if she’s relieved that her mother believed her lie, if she feels guilty for lying, or if she feels alarmed because maybe…just maybe…it wasn’t a lie at all.

 

* * *

_Two weeks later_

Scott stared at the mission dossier in his hand, not really focused on the information. His mind was racing at what felt like a million miles a minute.

He was getting ready to head out on a mission so he and Tessa only had a few more days together in Montreal. “We need to establish some basic terminology.”

Tessa looked up from the sample she had been studying to stare at the man who was now officially her fiancée – she even had the enormous diamond ring to prove it. “What kind of terminology?”

They were in her private office, a room so secure the Prime Minister could be brought here in the event of a national emergency. “For missions, you know, like distress words or phrases that mean specific things in case we can’t speak freely.”

Replacing the sample, she settled across from him, “Alright, what should we start with?”

“The first word you establish is a serious distress word, one you would use if you were in imminent danger. My code word has always been oak.”

“So high stress situation, like if someone had a gun to your head or you were kidnapped.”

He nodded his head in agreement. "Exactly like that."

Tessa leaned her head back in contemplation. “How about Newton?”

“Newton?”

“Yep, my dog’s name.”

Scott’s face was a study in confusion, “You don’t have a dog.”

“Not yet, but you love me so much you’re getting me a puppy for a wedding present. An Akita named Newton, after my favorite scientist. We're going to send him to obedience school, but we love Newton already. And what would be more natural than for someone to ask about the people they love when they’re under stress?"

He can't help the laughter that practically bubbles out of his chest, “An Akita named Newton? You really have this whole thing planned out don’t you?”

She returned his grin, “I’ve thought about getting a dog for ages, but just haven’t gotten around to it. I’m never home enough, but this sounds like the perfect time to finally get one.”

Pulling out his phone, he called CSIS, “I need an Akita puppy named Newton for our cover. Can you find one?”

Instead of laughing at the request, the person on the other end of the line replied in an almost bored tone, “What color?”

Tessa suppressed the urge to giggle, instead she answered, “Black and white.”

“It will be delivered next week.”

Hanging up Scott began again, “Now that we have that taken care of there are a few more things you need to know. When you hear the phrase ‘Don’t you feel as if you’re being watched’ that means there’s a bug in the room with video capabilities. If you hear ‘I feel half blind’ that means we might be under surveillance from a heat sensor, but no actual video. And then if someone says ‘My ears are ringing’ that means we have an audio bug. Anything else to do with surveillance is either ‘We’re not alone’ or ‘Are we finally alone?’ Depending on what works best in a particular situation.”

Focusing her attention, she could see how seriously Scott was taking this as she asked, “What about a situation where we’re not really under duress, but things aren’t quite right…maybe someone has a concealed weapon or we see something that worries us. You know, kind of a warning word…something in between?”

“I think something simple, like ‘I’m concerned’ followed by a statement that would not typically worry you. Clearly, the setting will inform our understanding of the conversation. If we were going skydiving for fun and you said ‘be careful’ I’m not going to think the pilot has a gun, but these phrases help keep everyone out of trouble. Hopefully if we do our jobs the right way this conversation will have been pointless, but you have to be prepared.”

Tessa looked out the window before glancing back at him with a wry smile. “Do you really think they’ll turn up on my doorstep next week with a black and white Akita named Newton?”

Scott laughed as he pulled her into his arms for a hug, “The CSIS would show up with the Loch Ness Monster if they thought an operative needed it. It wouldn’t surprise me one bit if you have a puppy delivered, I can’t wait to meet our first kid.”


	3. The Connection

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the final chapter before their mission truly begins. This chapter has frank discussions of violence, but I tried to be sure they were not gratuitous. Also, this chapter is decidedly "E" rated. I may change the rating of the entire fic eventually, we'll see.

Tessa stared at her reflection in the mirror. The woman who stared back was swathed in a classic white gown…she was getting married in two weeks.

She and Scott wanted to elope, but apparently when selling a cover story pictures and witnesses are important. Not to mention the fact that both of their families insisted on celebrating properly.

Jordan’s voice broke into her reverie, “Tess are you sure about this? I know mom promised not to ask again, and Scott seems so nice, and I can see you really like him, but you’ve only known him for a few months…don’t you think this might be a bit precipitous?”

Tessa tried to infuse a measure of levity in her response, “Jord, you know I love to test theories and examine data, but I just know in my heart that Scott is the “one”. I wasn’t looking for a husband, but then he showed up. It is sudden, but when he asked…I just…I want this.”

Her sister’s eyes relaxed marginally at this declaration, “As long as you’re sure. But if he hurts you, he will be answering directly to me.”

Pulling her sister into a hug, Tessa decided to test the waters just a little more, “Were you just concerned in general, or did something specific happen that made you worry…other than your very type A sister deciding to marry someone she’s only known for three months?”

Jordan's eyes returned to hesitant before caving, “Nothing specific, just sometimes the two of you seem a little tense around one another. Not angry, God, he’s so attentive to you it’s a little nauseating at times…and you spend half of your time watching him with stars in your eyes, but there are just a few moments that…”

 A knock sounded at the locked bedroom door interrupting the most accurate assessment of her relationship with Scott that anyone had managed to articulate.

Gathering the layers of tulle and lace, Tessa glided to the other side of the room as Jordan cracked the door. “Oh, Scott, did your flight just get in?”

Tessa felt her pulse quicken at the sound of his voice. It was becoming increasingly difficult to hide her attraction to him – at least the genuine attraction she was feeling.

It was hard to pretend something was the truth, but it was even more difficult to _only pretend_ something was the truth, when it actually _was_ the truth.

The worst part was knowing this situation could break her heart…it was complicated.

They had shared a bed since that night in Ilderton, even when they didn’t’ need to. She insisted that it was an effort to acclimate to one another, but apparently he had been completely serious when he said she could set the pace for their physical relationship.

He would press easy kisses to her hair, cheek, lips, or God…that one time to her pulse point. She had released a sound between a whimper and a moan when he did that, but he never reached for her once they were in bed.  

That didn’t mean that they hadn’t woken tangled up in one another some mornings, and there was that one morning just before he left that she had stirred awake only to realize that Scott was spooning her from behind…followed quickly by the realization that she could feel him pressed against her.

It was tempting to turn, kiss him senseless, and let him fuck her into oblivion, but the opportunity was lost when Scott stirred, realized what had happened, and fled to the shower…quite a long shower.

Tessa found her vibrator and did not feel the slightest modicum of guilt as she imagined Scott’s tongue, fingers, and finally cock inside her of her. If it happened to be the best orgasm of her life, well no one needed to know.

Returning her thoughts to the present, Tessa can feel that she has grown wet – and that she is flushed from her journey down memory lane.

Allowing Jordan to help her out of the wedding gown, she could hear the sound of pattering paws as Newton greeted her fiancée.

The CSIS had been good to their word and delivered a black and white Akita named Newton. He had come complete with a wonderful note from Scott detailing how much he knew she had always wanted a dog.

Sometimes, it was hard to tell what Scott was thinking or feeling. Most of the time he wore his heart on his sleeve - an open book

Other times, when it came to their relationship in particular, she couldn't figure out what he wanted.

He seemed to genuinely like her, he got along well with her family, and the note had been full of personal anecdotes and snippets of conversations the two of them had shared.

He was nothing if not committed to the mission at hand. His service record read like a novel. The only reason she had been able to read it was because she had clearance that went above top secret.

It was hard to imagine the man who looked at her with such kind hazel eyes also had more than one hundred confirmed kills and had taken down more than forty terrorist leaders.

He had received two Sacrifice Medals, a Star of Military Valour, and an assortment of other commendations.

He had been recommended for the Cross of Valour, but since most of his missions were highly classified, it would have been difficult to award that medal without compromising the intelligence community.

Having finally slipped back into her regular clothes, Tessa snuggled into Scott’s side after returning his somewhat enthusiastic kiss.

She wasn’t completely sure where Scott had been. He had told her he was going to Hawaii, and judging by his newly acquired tan, he had probably been telling the truth.

His cover job as a security consultant was the perfect ruse. It put him in contact with both legitimate business owners and criminals while allowing him to carry out covert missions around the world.

As if she could sense that the two of them had things to discuss, Jordan excused herself under the pretext of getting coffee, and left them to catch up.

Scott had already kissed her, but once they were alone, he pulled her into his arms, holding her like she was the only thing anchoring him to reality.

The logical part of her brain was always confused in moments like these. They no longer had an audience. No one needed to be convinced, but Scott was becoming more affectionate when they were alone – more so than when they were surrounded by people.

Still, she couldn’t deny that it felt good to be wrapped in his strong embrace. She felt safe, as if nothing could harm her while in his arms.

For his part, Scott felt as if he could hold her forever. After several days of crawling through the jungle, smelling the ungodly odor of death and decay, seeing body parts harvested for profit, and dozens of other atrocities he felt as if he could finally breathe again.

Tessa always smelled so…alive. Like a mixture of strawberries, chocolate, lavender, and whatever lotion she was using for the day.

He wanted to bottle her scent, just in case she was really gone after five years and he couldn’t bury his nose in her hair.

He wasn’t sure how long they had been standing there when Tessa interrupted his train of thought. “I know you might not want to talk about what you were doing, but our families are going to ask questions. Our stories should match.”

Scott stopped to look at the woman in front of him. Her eyes were filled with uncertainty, but also with compassion. She was trying to make this as easy as possible for him.

Pulling her to sit beside him on the bed, he tried to decide where to begin…after all she was his partner as well as his fiancée.

She needed to know the truth, “I was sent to Haiti, not Hawaii. Or at least my mission was in Haiti. The CSIS suspected that a terrorist group has been using that nation to harvest organs and sell them on the black market. Considering that a human body can be worth upwards of three-hundred thousand dollars, you can see why there was mounting concern.”

When Scott’s pause lengthened, Tessa almost asked if he had found evidence of the terrorist organization. And then she looked at his eyes…he had found it. His gaze was too distant to be otherwise. “What did you do once you found them?”

He cleared this throat, “I called in the team. They dismantled the operation – the doctors are being questioned, but I doubt they know anything. Still, I suppose we disrupted their cash flow for a little while. The paperwork should give some good leads. It was a pretty elaborate system. It takes a tremendous amount of equipment to run an operation like that. The ability to test DNA compatibility alone is a huge undertaking…but you know that better than I do.”

Gently stroking the back of his hand, she wondered if he would volunteer the information about what had really upset him so much…something else must have happened. He encountered death, destruction, and evil on a daily basis – there had to be more.

After a moment’s silence he continued, “I saw them…they were harvesting a young girl…I should have stopped it…stopped them. I’m almost positive she was already dead, and I hadn’t found the information on the terrorists who were backing the organization. I didn’t have the evidence CSIS wanted, but damn it, I should have just shot them – regardless of what the mission was.”

Tessa felt bile rise in the back of her throat as she watched Scott press his palms into his eyes as if he could erase the memory of what he saw.

She wasn’t sure what to say. This wasn’t covered in how to be a good fiancé 101.

Her tone was uncertain, but gentle as she finally offered, “I’m not going to lie and say that maybe you didn’t make a mistake, but you did save thousands of other lives. You thwarted funds going to finance terrorism. Your work will likely provided a way to trace those funds.”

Scott’s shoulders hadn’t lost any of their tension as she began rubbing soothing circles between his shoulder blades, “You did a great deal of good. If you had shot everyone in that room you would have had guards on your head in minutes. While I’m sure you wouldn’t have minded dying, it wouldn’t have done any good – not even for that poor girl.”

There was still a current of energy running through his frame, but he did seem to be marginally calmer. She debated the wisdom of her next words, but they tumbled out of their own accord, “On a more personal note, less as your official partner, and even less as a doctor who knows that human beings can’t always process the best choice under that type of stress…I am sorry. I can’t imagine the heartbreak you must be feeling over having to make that kind of decision.”

Linking their fingers together, he tugged on her arm until she was sitting in his lap. At this angle, he could bury his face in the crook of her neck. Tessa was beginning to suspect he was developing a fixation.

For his part, Scott wasn’t sure the last time that someone had made him feel calmer with just their presence and a few words of comfort, “Thank you…so I guess the official story is that I was in Hawaii working for Rushmore Construction and everything went well.”

After a few more moments of quiet he cleared his throat, “I suppose you need to tell me what progress has been made on the wedding front. I’m sure everyone will be asking for the latest details.”

Sensing that he needed something else to think about, Tessa launched into a report that the cake had been ordered, the china polished, even on such short notice almost all the invited guests had accepted their invitations. “Apparently no one wants to miss the party of the year.”

He could tell there was more on her mind than flowers and color palettes. It was tempting to treat the conversation as finished, but she wasn’t just his fiancée or another woman who was hesitant to share her feelings.

This was his partner. Their lives depended on being totally honest and open with one another so he pushed forward, “What were you thinking about?”

Tessa looked a little guilty, as she shook her head, “No, we can talk about this later. You’ve had an awful week. Why don’t you rest and then we can talk…”

“T, honesty – remember? I can handle it. I need you to tell me what you’re thinking.”

Avoiding his gaze, she finally admitted what had been plaguing her for weeks, “I’m just a little confused about where reality ends and work starts. There are moments that I definitely want you as more than a…a friend or co-worker.”

He spared a thought to admire the pretty shade of pink she was turning at this admission before refocusing his attention.

“There are times that I think you want me back…but I have a hard time distinguishing your acting for the sake of our cover story from any possible genuine attraction.”

Scott was tempted to say none of it was acting, but he wasn’t even completely sure how he felt about their situation and he didn’t want to lie.

Determined to be the senior agent in the situation and address her concerns, he met her gaze, “There are definitely moments that I want you – so much. You’re intelligent, beautiful, gracious, and humble. Any man would be crazy to not want you. I promised you that you can set the tone for our physical relationship and I meant that. Whatever you want or need – however much or not at all I’m completely comfortable.”

 After a moment of thought she started again, “It isn’t so much what I’m comfortable with…I’m attracted to you. People sleep with each other for less. I suppose a small part of me thought it might be interesting to see how a mind and body would respond to fabricated stimuli, but now that I’m in the middle of it I’m having a hard time deciphering fact from fiction."

She took a fortifying breath before continuing, "For instance, when you shared about how you felt after watching that girl on the operating table…that felt genuine. You could have shared the facts without once telling me how it impacted you. Just as I could have said we need to lay ground rules in black and white instead of admitting that I am struggling with the emotions of adapting from civilian to spy…I just need to know…I don’t know…I suppose I’m asking how emotionally invested you’re willing to be. At the end of five years, we’re going our separate ways. But during those five years, are we planning to be co-workers who sleep together based on lust and the need be to sell a cover story or are we going to genuinely work on caring for each other?”

Scott opened his mouth to protest the idea of them being nothing more than fuck buddies, but she placed a finger over his lips as she continued, “I don’t think there is a right or wrong answer to this question. One option is less complicated for us and would tie into a nicer bow at the end of the assignment, but…”

She shrugged her shoulders rather helplessly and Scott thought he could kiss her for being so honest and specific about what she had been thinking. Putting all their cards on the table would be difficult, but it would also make their relationship easier in the end.

Taking both of her hands and looking directly in her eyes he searched for the right words, “Thank you for being so honest. I have a proposal for you…we don’t do anything we don’t feel like doing and we let our relationship evolve naturally. We stop stressing over the blurred line of a cover story and attraction – both physical and emotional. Just us – no CSIS or agenda – just two people figuring out how they really feel.”

Tessa searched his eyes for uncertainty, but found none as she agreed, “Just us. I can do that.”  

Scott moved his head slowly so that she could pull away if she wanted, “So…physical affection…we should explore that a little more honestly – cover story aside?”

Tessa could only manage to whisper, “Yes please” before Scott had captured her lips.

Their other kisses had been amazing and many had been passionate, but this was another thing entirely. There was no doubt about _why_ they were kissing this time and Tessa could actually feel herself melting into him as she moved to straddle his waist.

The door opening and Jordan’s loud declaration that the line at Starbucks had been ridiculously long interrupted them just as Scott's hand was sliding under her shirt.

Scott was half-hard between the apex of her thighs and Tessa has never been more upset by her sister’s presence in her entire life.

Realizing what she has interrupted, Jordan froze, “I can come back later…or you guys could ummm…get a room?”

Tessa groaned as she buried her head on Scott’s shoulder, “Jordan this is our room. Literally, and I haven’t seen my very sexy fiancé all week.”

Scott’s laughter was somewhere between breathless and strangled as he kissed Tessa’s shoulder, “It’s fine Jordan. I’m going to take a shower and unpack from my trip.”

Meeting her older sister’s gaze with as much disinterestedness as she could muster Tessa waited for the teasing.

Jordan was smirking, but there was also genuine affection in her gaze, “You know, I think I was wrong. You two will be just fine.”

Deliberately snuggling into Scott’s embrace for the first time later that night, she couldn’t help but agree with her sister’s assessment.

Everything was going to be fine, and maybe…at the end of five years she would still have a real partner in every sense of the word – not just in the CSIS databases.

* * *

“Two more days and we will officially be married.” Poking her head out of the bathroom, she could see that Scott was laying on the bed staring at the ceiling while making this observation. She wasn’t even sure if he was actually talking to her.

However, since their conversation a few days ago, he had started sleeping without a shirt and that sight was more than a little distracting.

Attempting to reign in her errant thoughts, while also wondering what he would do if she jumped him (her mind was a very conflicted place these days), she finished brushing her teeth.

Settling on her side of the bed, she tried not to focus on the way his abs contracted as he rolled over to face her, “Do you think they’ll give us a mission right away?”

Scott tried to ignore the feeling of disappointment at the way she had ignored his statement about getting married. “I’m not sure. They are sending us on a luxury cruise instead of our original plans to take a private jet to Bora Bora. It’s hard to imagine that CSIS would interfere with our honeymoon plans unless they had some ulterior motives. Still, I doubt it is a full-fledged mission. They may ask us to log observation hours or something, but they’ll probably give us time to get used to working with each other.”

She nodded her head in acknowledgement reaching for her phone.

Scott had become familiar with this bedtime ritual. She almost always set her alarm (more than one), checked her schedule, and reviewed the weather forecast before snuggling under the covers – or into his side the past few nights. She claimed it helped her get into the right head-space for what she needed to accomplish the following morning.

A large part of him wanted to pull her in for a kiss and see where it went, but there was one more conversation they needed to have before their first mission.

Reaching for her hand, he laced their fingers together, “I need to talk to you about one more thing.”

He could almost feel her tense, but her expression remained calm as she waited for him to continue. “When we’re out there…in the field, I need you to know that I trust you. Your knowledge will be invaluable. If you tell me that a vial contains anthrax, I will trust your judgment. If you tell me someone has cloned a dinosaur I may have a million questions, but I will trust you because that is your area of expertise…I need you to do the same for me. If I tell you to hide or if I tell you that the charming man we just met is not safe, I need you to believe me…even if it is based on nothing more than my instincts. That’s the only way we’re going to survive the next few years.”

Tessa met his eyes with something like wonder, “You really trust me that much?”

He stroked her cheek, “Yes. I wouldn’t have accepted this assignment if I didn’t. That is my first rule of operating. Trust you partner – you may have to lie to everyone else in your life, but you never lie to your partner. The two of you have to know that what you’re saying is the absolute truth and that you believe them just as much as you hope they believe you.”

Tessa leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the lips, “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“Not treating me like a second class citizen because I don’t come from your world.”

Scott’s smile was equal parts soft and regretful as he whispered, “It’s because you don’t come from my world that I want to protect you so much. I couldn’t forgive myself if something happened to you.”

Their lips found one another again and somewhere in the middle of a kiss that started as sweet and quickly turned into Scott sliding his tongue against hers in languid strokes she knew…it was time.

She wanted him, and it was more than obvious that he wanted her.

Tugging on the band of his boxers, she could feel the moment he pulled away. His hazel eyes were at least three shades darker as he captured her wrist, “Tessa are you sure about this? We can’t take it back.”

Pulling on his curls with her free hand she whispered, “I am so far beyond positive. I want you – now.”

With that assurance, he tugged his t-shirt over her head (why was it so hot when she wore his clothes?) and began peppering kisses over her chest.

Something like a huff of protest escaped her, “Scott I want you inside me, we can do all of this later. I want…oh my fuck.”

Whatever she was about to say died in her throat when he grazed over her nipple with his teeth before soothing it with his tongue.

His grin was devilish as he gave the same attention to her other breast while she arched off of the bed in an effort to get closer to his body.

He slipped two fingers into her cunt before smirking, “You were saying?”

Tessa knew she was making little breathy sounds that were somewhere between whimpers and moans, but she did not give one single fuck as she once more found his lips, “I said I want you…I forget the rest.”

When he stretched her open with both of his thumbs and actually started fucking her with his tongue Tessa spared a thought for the fact that she had been right – Scott’s oral fixation was…beneficial – mind-blowing even.

As she came all over his face and he licked her clean, she wondered if he’d finally give her what she asked for at the beginning.

Meeting his eyes, and letting her legs fall open once more in invitation she resisted the urge to blush. She had never been this bold with another man, but Scott wasn’t any other man.

As he captured her lips he asked, “Condoms?”

She shook her head, “I have an IUD.”

Lining them up, he met her eyes once more, “You’re sure?”

Something close to a growl escaped her lips, “Scott I swear if you don’t fuck me right now, I’ll…”

That was all it took before he pushed into her. First times were always awkward. The guy was uncomfortably big or too small, he couldn’t find the right rhythm, didn’t know when to stimulate her clit, came before her and didn’t bother finishing her off…but not with Scott.

They fit, just like their hands apparently.

Focusing on the connection between their bodies and meeting him thrust for thrust, she wondered if it could always be this good. Could they always lose themselves in and to one another?

When he reached between them to rub her clit, she met his eyes and wondered if he could see love or lust written in her gaze. As she clenched around him and triggered his own release, she was relatively sure he had seen both…and she wasn’t sure if she had ever felt more vulnerable in her life.

Scott tried to focus on his breathing and not crush Tessa as he came down from the best orgasm of his life.

Sex was always fun. He was a guy, of course he enjoyed sex, but he didn’t know it could be like that.

Watching Tessa sleep that night, more peacefully than he had yet to see, he knew he was ruined for other relationships.

If she really decided at the end of five years that she didn’t want him, didn’t want them, he wasn’t sure what he would do.

Watching her come, with an expression that had abandoned all screens and defenses he knew he had found his drug. He was addicted to that intimacy and he would only find it with her.


	4. The Mission: Part I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go...:)

Scott adjusted his tie for at least the tenth time. He felt as though it was choking him, but that might just be the stress. Today was the day.

He had woken in a cold sweat after dreams of Tessa changing her mind or worse yet Tessa dying in his arms on some awful mission if she followed through with this scheme.

Taking a shuddering breath, he pushed such morose thoughts aside. He was getting married to a woman he is either in love with – or well on his way to loving.

Pulling Danny aside, he gave him a package, “Will you take this to Tess for me? The girls won’t let me within a hundred feet.”

His older brother clapped him on the back, mirth written in his gaze, “Of course they won’t. It’s bad luck to see the bride before the wedding.”

Watching his brother walk down the hall, Scott picked up a stack of darts. He had to do something with his time.

The photographer had already gotten all the official shots. It was just over an hour until he got to marry Tessa…it felt like forever.

Tessa couldn’t help the laughter that bubbled over as she watched her niece Poppy sing her best impression of Hall and Oates’ classic, _You Make My Dreams Come True_.

Scott argued otherwise, but she maintained that the 80s had the best music.

A knock on the door was followed by Danny delivering a carefully wrapped package.

Tearing back the paper, she smiled. Scott hadn’t sent her flowers…she had already told him she didn’t particularly like that gesture.

Instead, he had sent her an inscribed charm to add to the long necklace she always wore. It simply read, “The voice of your eyes is deeper than all the roses.” It was a quote from her favorite poem by E.E. Cummings.

A box of chocolate and a short, but sweet handwritten note completed the package.

She hadn’t been sure if he would send her anything, but she had prepared her own gift just in case.

Handing an envelope to Danny, she focused on the facts and nothing more. She was getting married to someone she actually liked…possibly loved.

They were going to be serving their nation. They were the good guys…they had only known each other for three months. Forcing herself to join in the revelry, she tried not to think about all of the things that could go wrong, and all the heartache that could lie ahead.

Scott waited for Danny to return with growing anxiety, and more than a little curiosity. At last, his brother returned bearing an envelope.

Quietly stepping into the hall for a moment of privacy, Scott broke the seal, as a whiff of Tessa’s perfume greeted his senses. Sliding out the contents, he found a long chain with a circular charm attached and handwritten note.

He read the note first. _“Scott, I wasn’t sure if you would send me something before the ceremony, so I’ll either send this to you as an exchange or give it to you afterwards. On one side, you will find your vows to me, and on the other, you’ll find my vows to you. I love you, and can’t wait to see you waiting at the end of the aisle...”_

He read those last statements with a grain of salt, but he still inspected her gift more closely. Sure enough, their vows had been inscribed in tiny letters, but around the outside of the circle was a message that made him smile.

It simply said, “Trust your partner.” They were heading into unknown territory without a clear playbook.

Still, even if they weren’t ready to commit to forever, they had already made the choice to place their very lives in each other’s hands. That might be an unorthodox start to a relationship, but it wasn’t a bad one either.

* * *

Later that night, standing beside his wife, Scott wondered how many more people they would have to talk with before they could be left alone.

The reception had been going strong for more than three hours and he hadn’t talked to the same person twice. The only constant through the whole ordeal had been Tessa’s hand clasped in his, the one that now bore two rings instead of one.

She was talking with a venerable grey-headed woman about DNA sequencing. It was clear that she was getting tired and if he had to guess, her back was feeling a little stiff.

Putting his arms around her, he offered silent sympathy, only to have her actually lean back into his embrace.

Finally, the woman moved on and Tessa turned in his embrace until she was facing him. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For not leaving me, for being such a support…literally and figuratively. I know some of the discussions you’ve had to listen to haven’t exactly been in your line of interest.”

He smiled into her eyes, “Well, I will admit that I have only understood about half of what you’ve talked about, but it is fun to watch you. Sometimes your eyes light up and you get so excited about a new discovery or sharing knowledge. Other times you look as if someone has caught you in a cage and you can’t wait to escape. Besides, you’ve listened to your share of military stories."

General Lawson cleared his throat discretely, prompting them to turn towards him. “I hate to break up the party, but I have to go. Before I leave, I wanted to give you my wedding present in person. I’m not sure you’ll thank me afterwards, but I sincerely hope you enjoy your honeymoon. Be safe, take lots of pictures, and be sure to have fun.”

Scott accepted the envelope with a nod, “Thank you General. I’m sure it will be a once in a lifetime experience.”

Tessa offered him her hand, “It was lovely to meet you. I’m sure we’ll run into one another again.”

Carefully placing the non-descript envelope in his jacket pocket, Scott went back to mingling with their guests. His curiosity was aroused.

Apparently, CSIS was giving them a mission right away. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that, but then again his feelings on the subject didn’t really matter.

At last, around eleven o’clock that night he and Tessa had managed to steal up to the penthouse suite of the hotel.

She collapsed into a chair amid a flurry of white material while he felt as if his neck might need a masseuse to get rid of the tension.

Tessa’s mouth was half-full of bobby pins as she muttered, “Do you think most couples are this tired after their wedding or are we just more exhausted because we not only got married but also took the final step in establishing our cover?”

Scott hung up his jacket as he considered her question. “Well…I don’t think I have an answer for you. I never thought to ask anyone about how tired they were, and I don’t know of anyone else who has started their marriage under such unique circumstances.”

As he opened the envelope the general had handed him, Tessa (very distractingly) leaned over his shoulder.

Apparently, a renowned weapons dealer would be on board their cruise ship. Their assignment was to observe – his actions, who he met with, and any information, funds, or equipment that exchanged hands.

It wasn’t hard to see why they had been given this assignment. Raoul Martine was best known for selling guns to the highest bidder, but he prided himself on being something of a “gentleman” criminal.

It would be a relatively safe mission for Tessa’s first time in the field. Not to mention the fact that since she was one of the richest women in the world her presence on a luxury cruise ship would be considered natural.

If he had attempted to board by himself he wouldn’t have made it past the gangplank.

Their information packet contained other pertinent data relating to Raoul, known terrorists in the area, and their backup on board the ship.

One of the stewards was an undercover CSIS agent. He was there to help in the event of an emergency.

Scott frowned at the papers in front of him while Tessa’s face mirrored his own, “What’s wrong? Do you not like the agent who is serving as our backup?”

Her new husband (how weird was it to think about being married?) shook his head. “No, actually Patrick Chan is one of my best friends. He was a pilot while I was in special forces and we went through CSIS training about the same time. I’m just bothered by the idea that we might need backup. Maybe they’re just being cautious because we haven’t been on any missions together, but backup isn’t typically provided unless the agency is anticipating trouble.”

Tessa gingerly massaged her scalp. She would definitely need to wash her hair if she hoped to get all the hairspray out. “Well regardless, I’m glad we won’t be alone. Until I get used to being a spy I like knowing there’s someone else you can call.”

Scott heard this last statement, but his eyes were drawn to her hair that was falling in disorderly riot around her shoulders. She looked utterly fuckable right now – so incredibly…unbound and beautiful.

She followed his gaze before laughing at his expression. “I know I must look like a mess. I think I’m going to have to take a shower if I ever hope to get rid of all the hairspray they put in my hair.”

Drawing her into his arms, he rained a trail of kisses down her neck, revisiting her pulse point more than once, “Do you want some help with that?”

Tessa’s eyes darkened to something like a forest green as she tilted her head to give him better access, “Are you offering?”

Pulling the long zipper of her wedding dress down, Scott felt his breath catch at the sight of her. She was wearing some sort of lace confection that he could snap in half with minimal effort, “I’m more than happy to volunteer my services – both in the shower and out here getting you out of that very attractive, but entirely unnecessary lingerie.”

Drawing him into the en suite Tessa finally met his lips with her own before whispering, “I’d be so grateful for the help…I’ll do anything to repay your very generous offer.”

The lace landed on the floor somewhere as Scott stripped out of his own clothes before joining his wife in the shower.

They picked up where they left off, all pretext of washing her hair abandoned as Scott brought her to the brink over and over again – first with his fingers, then his tongue, then the shower head (while his mouth did wicked things to her chest), and then his hand again. He wanted her to crash to earth with a shattering orgasm.

Still, he could tell she was growing impatient. The sounds coming out of her mouth were somewhere between a whine and a mewl. He wanted to record it and listen to it on repeat for the rest of his life.

Tessa felt Scott pull away as he brought her to the precipice for the fourth time. She wanted to be angry with him, but she was having difficulty forming coherent thoughts, much less actually communicating them.

Still, when he picked up a bottle of shampoo as if he was actually going to wash her hair she pushed him down onto the shower bench, “We are going to fuck right now – or I will finish myself I swear to God.”

Scott swallowed audibly as he nodded, “Yeah, we can do that.”

Sinking onto his cock Tessa pulled his bottom lip between her teeth as she focused on the steady rhythm between their bodies. There was a part of her that couldn’t believe she had gone her entire life without this – without him.

Tomorrow, they would be boarding a ship surrounded by uncertainty, but tonight was theirs.

* * *

It was four in the morning and, for once, it was Scott that couldn’t sleep. His mind kept replaying the events of the day, the conversations he and Tessa had shared over the past three months, their upcoming mission…all of it raced through his memory.

Next to him, the source of half his thoughts stirred. Her green eyes opened and met his. “Can’t sleep?”

He turned to face her. “No, my mind won’t shut up.”

He wondered if she would launch into a discussion on the biological reasons for this phenomenon, but instead she moved closer lifting the necklace she had given him, “I meant to tell you this earlier, but it slipped my mind. You know I have a bug detector built into my watch. I have updated the technology to also have a tracker chip. All of them are as “untraceable” as they come. Your necklace has the same technology.”

He looked at the pendant with renewed interest as she explained, “If you place your thumb on either side of the pendant, the engraved portion retracts.”

The panels slid back to reveal two digital readings. One registered if there was video feed, the other looked for audio frequencies. At the very bottom, a heart pulsed steadily. “What is the heart for?”

“That’s my tracker. I have one that can read your signal. The frequencies are completely unique to these devices. No one else can use the chips to track us. And the best part is that I designed it to look like it is reading you vital signs. That way if we get detained, it won’t look suspicious.”

She lightly squeezed on either side of the charm and the panels slid shut once more. “It responds to both our fingerprints?”

“Yes, just the two of us, although it would be fairly easy to add someone else’s if we needed to.”

“You’re pretty amazing you know?”

She shrugged her shoulders, a gesture he was coming to recognize as her way of finishing a conversation when she didn’t know what else to say.

Pushing his hair away from his forehead, she smiled, “Go to sleep Scott…just us remember? We’ll figure it out together.”

* * *

Stepping onto the ship the next morning, Tessa felt a little like she had been drugged. Intermittent sleep had not been enough to compensate for an exhausting week.

She wanted to sleep for a week, but that was not going to happen, “Mr. Moir and Dr. Virtue-Moir?”

Turning, they found Patrick standing beside them in a steward’s uniform.

Scott offered that man an easy smile, giving no indication that he knew the other man, “That would be us.”

Patrick reached for their luggage, “My name is Lewis…”

Tessa vaguely remembered that Lewis was actually Patrick’s middle name.

“Allow me to show you to your cabin.”

They followed him down a series of hallways until they arrived at the honeymoon suite.

Patrick pulled a key from his vest and opened the door.

It would never do to acknowledge their unique relationship, instead the man offered, “I hope the fruit is to your liking. I know Dr. Virtue-Moir prefers chocolate dipped apples to strawberries. The cook prepared some especially for you. The flowers are a special selection to match your wedding colors. The Captain would be delighted if you would join him for dinner. It is served at seven. Can I help you unpack?”

Scott tipped him as he answered, “No, I think we’ll manage, right babe?”

Tessa had moved to the fruit tray, but offered a radiant smile, “I think we’ll be fine. Thank you…Lewis.”

Scott joined her by the tray. After careful inspection, it became apparent that one of them was fake. The end pulled apart to reveal a flash drive.

He pulled out his laptop to review whatever data Patrick had left them while Tessa moved to the flowers.

Cleverly disguised in one of the blooms was a transponder. It was not emitting any data at the moment, but it could be activated from both sides.

She and Scott could easily communicate with their backup and he could communicate with them if the need arose.

Tessa started unpacking as Scott read the files. There weren’t many of them. “T will you come look at this?”

Joining him by the computer, she was momentarily flustered when he pulled her into his lap, but what was on the screen soon brought her back to reality. It was information about the item that might be in play – the weapon they were looking for.

After a cursory review she began explaining, “By the looks of this, the weapon is a chemical agent. It is designed to eat through metal.”

Scott’s face betrayed his confusion, “There are already substances that will do that quite effectively. What makes this so special?”

“It looks like they have found a way to accelerate the process…think of a laser that could cut through steel or any other substance in seconds. If this information is correct, the user would simply need to apply a few drops to any surface and watch it collapse almost upon contact. The applications are quite broad, but I agree that it hardly seems a national security issue. It almost sounds like advanced white collar crime. It is also a little out of Martine’s wheelhouse. Do you think the information could be wrong?”

She turned to face him, unprepared for how close his gaze was. Last night might have been theirs, but today they needed to focus.

Scott’s voice was quiet as he tried not to think about how much he wanted to kiss her. “I don’t know. This is initial data. Sometimes the chatter surrounding a weapons acquisition is intentionally misleading. I had one case where I thought I was going to extract a simple virus, but it turned out to be a vial of raw plutonium. You never really know what you’re dealing with until you’re in the middle of the assignment…and sometimes not even then.”

Tessa frowned at nothing in particular and Scott sensed that she needed to be rescued. “Do you want to rest for a little while before dinner or we could get some fresh air…or…?”

She stood up and rummaged through her suitcase until she found a pad of paper and a pen. Taking a seat on the bed and turning the laptop to face her she began writing.

At first, Scott couldn’t make any sense of what she was recording. There were times she would tear a sheet off and throw it away, but after about thirty minutes she seemed to be making progress and it became clear that she was deciphering a code.

Watching her work was agonizing. To know that what she was doing could have national security implications, but not to be able to help made him feel useless.

Still, he knew that venting that frustration would not help her concentrate. Her neck was clearly bothering her, so he moved behind her to massage it.

At last, she was finished. The message spelled out on her paper in no way matched what had been recorded in the intercepted chatter.

Instead of an agent that could cut through metal surfaces, the item being offered was in fact a modified nerve agent. One that had just been developed, and one for which there was no cure.

It had never been used in a coordinated attack, but it had been tested on large animal populations. Apparently, the kill radius was six city blocks for every eight ounces when dispersed through the air, sometimes its reach was even farther when dispersed through the water supply.

The two of them stared at her findings for a few moments before she turned to face him. “This also talks about attaching images…examples of their work, but I guess those weren’t intercepted…what do we do?”

Scott was still having a hard time grasping the way she had been able to determine the message was coded and then decipher it so quickly.

Shaking his head he tried to focus, “We need to find the players. The CSIS has already identified several people of interest with a focus on Raoul Martine. These luxury cruises are hotbeds for crime and the exchange of sensitive material. Not all the rich people are as scrupulous as you. We need to keep our ears open for any conversation about corrosive substances or nerve agents. I’ll update Ottawa. With this new information they may be able to narrow the suspect pool.”

Tessa returned to her unpacking, but her mood was decidedly more subdued.

After debriefing their superiors and sending everyone at headquarters into a flurry of activity, he turned back to watch her finish her suitcase and start on his. “I can do that if you want.”

She offered him a quiet smile, “I don’t mind.”

Rising to join her anyway, he couldn’t help but ask, “How did you do that? I mean what was it about the message that made you think it was encrypted?”

“While I was working on my first Ph.D. I spent a tremendous amount of time studying math. I actually accumulated enough credits for a Doctorate. Sequencing always intrigued me, regardless of its format.”

She shrugged her shoulders, “When I read that message I simply started with what we already knew. This agent was worth a lot of money or they would have found a different target audience. It also had to be unique – something that couldn’t be easily replicated or obtained. A corrosive substance, no matter how powerful doesn’t really fit either of those criteria. So logically, there had to be another explanation. What you postulated, about the message being intentionally misleading was what started me thinking about codes. Then I started noticing that there were too many occurrences of certain words and the sequence of numbers at the bottom had too many fours and sevens to be random.”

“Fours and sevens?” He could hear the bewilderment in his own voice.

She, on the other hand, was completely serious. “Yes, for some reason when people try to generate random numbers they always put too many fours and sevens. Threes are popular as well, but once I began rearranging the words by transposing every fourth letter to the first and every seventh word to the fourth I got a very different message.”

“And what were the sheets that you threw away?”

“Oh, at first I wasn’t sure if I should get rid of the fourth and seventh word or letter altogether or which way to transpose them, but it became apparent pretty quickly that those options were not valid.”

He couldn’t stop the look of wonder that rested on his face. “I have to tell you CSIS was thrown into quite a tailspin when I gave them your revised version of that intercept. I think the cryptography department is going to be doing double duty for a little while. It wouldn’t surprise me if they asked you to teach a seminar for them.”

Her laughter was almost dismissive, “I’m sure they would have figured it out eventually.”

“Yeah, but you figured it out in less than an hour without any additional technology or information.”

They were interrupted by an incoming transmission from Ottawa which simply read, “Raoul still considered top candidate. Proceed with extreme caution. If found, insert tracker and follow agent to buyer. If immediate danger, destroy sample by any means necessary. Priority is end user.”

Scott simply responded, “Understood.”

By this point, it was nearly four o’clock. Tessa moved to open one of the windows basking in the sea breeze before turning with a fortifying breath. “Well, I suppose all things considered it is best to know what we’re dealing with. We better get ready for dinner.”

Walking into the dining area at ten till seven, Scott felt himself tense in spite of his best effort. The concierge recognized them and immediately adopted an almost obsequious demeanor. “Mr. Moir, Dr. Virtue-Moir I hope your time aboard has been pleasant so far. Allow me to show you to the Captain’s table. He hopes you will join him for dinner any time it suits your convenience.”

Scott nodded in acknowledgment. “That is very kind of him.”

Raoul finally made an appearance during dessert. He took a table by himself and ordered.

After about fifteen minutes, another man joined him. Scott wanted to hear what they were saying, but first he needed to get closer.

Turning to Tessa he asked, “Darling would you like to dance?”

The band was playing soft strains of a waltz, but the Captain heard his query. “Of course you must dance. You should open the floor.”

He motioned to the conductor. “Play something so that our passengers can dance.”

The tempo shifted to a tango as he pulled Tessa’s chair out and offered her his hand. She whispered in his ear as they stepped onto the floor, “Do you know how to tango?”

He kissed the inside of her wrist, “Yes, CSIS agents have to learn.”

The dance was a bit sultrier than either had bargained for, but it didn’t take long for other couples to join them.

They were able to make their way towards Raoul’s table. They could only hear snatches of conversation, but it was apparent that he and his companion were not talking about a nerve agent, at least not unless the sports teams Manchester United and Paris-Saint-Germain were code names for that weapon.

Returning to their cabin, it was clear they would have to develop a new approach to obtain information from the man in question. “We’ll have to arrange a meeting. Maybe we could accidentally bump into him somewhere. I’ll ask Patrick where he typically spends his time.”

Tessa yawned, “I would imagine whatever he’s up to will not come to full fruition until the end of the cruise. After all, the buyer wouldn’t want to be responsible for the agent the entire cruise, and the seller wouldn’t want to be stuck on a ship after receiving such a large payment.”

Scott nodded in agreement. “Speaking of which, where do you think he would be hiding this thing? I mean are there specific environments that are required to maintain a stable product?”

Tessa hung up her dress. “Most nerve agents need a stable environment. Not too cold or hot, but the main issue is pressure. They are typically contained in some sort industrially sealed vial, but I doubt it is temperature dependent. I could be wrong, especially because it has been modified, but most nerve agents are far more dependent on pressure than temperatures.”

Scott brushed his teeth through this explanation before offering, “I suppose we have to consider the possibility that Raoul isn’t our seller. He could be here for an entirely different reason. He has sold all sorts of products to hundreds of different people, but he has been quiet for a couple of years.”

Tessa finished washing her face as she considered this last statement. “I suppose we’ll just have to keep our eyes and ears open.”

* * *

Their plan to remain watchful had yielded no further results.

They had “inadvertently” met Raoul and pretty much crossed him off their list of suspects. The man appeared to be networking and meeting potential clients. Apparently he was a little off his game having failed to deliver a product to his last customer and he needed fresh meat.

Just to be thorough, Patrick had searched the man’s cabin and found nothing remotely suspicious. That left them with the dozens of other criminals aboard.

Scott was starting to get worried. Something should have come up by now. The ship was large, but not big enough for such a spectacular offer to be kept a perfect secret.

The fifth night of their adventure found the two of them were dancing to the strains of a waltz when several people began leaving in a semi-methodical order.

He leaned in to whisper, “I think something is going down. Can you make it back to our cabin by yourself?”

She smiled as if he had just shared a wonderful secret instead of telling her he thought an auction for a deadly weapon was about to take place. “Of course…I’ll see you in a bit.”

He watched her exit wondering if he should have walked her back, but dismissed the thought. He had a job to do.

Casually following one of the arms dealers he noticed they were all making their way by various routes to one of the cabins on the foredeck.

Planting a transmitter on a nearby wall, he listened to the conversation that was taking place inside. “Of course I have the product. My employer is anxious to divest himself of this valuable asset. However, he is quite insistent that your bids come first. Naturally you will be able to see a sample as a good faith effort before you have to make final purchase.”

A man that had a faint Italian accent inquired, “How many vials are available?”

“Twelve. Naturally my client would like to sell them all to the same person, but he is willing to sell in smaller batches if the price is right.”

A man with a rougher voice who spoke with a pronounced Russian dialect interjected, “My client wants the entire batch and is willing to pay top dollar.”

At least three other voices also expressed their intention to bid on all twelve vials, some even stating general figures they were prepared to offer.

Scott was taking notes the entire time. It would be easier to identify people after recording where they were from. At least one was American while another was Arabic, but he couldn’t pinpoint which country.

 “Thank you ladies gentlemen. The final bid and example will take place tomorrow night.”

Melting even further into the shadows, Scott waited until everyone had exited the stateroom, recording the number, so they could trace who was staying there.

Walking across the deck with an affected carefree attitude, he mingled with several passengers before arriving at their cabin.

Something was wrong…he couldn’t quite place what, but Tessa hadn’t turned on any music, the rooms were darker than normal, and the sound of her nightly shower was missing.

Pushing aside a growing sense of foreboding, he opened the door. Everything looked exactly as it had when they left a few hours before, “Tess, babe, are you in here?”

There was no answer. A cursory inspection of the bathroom, sitting area, deck, and closets all turned up empty.

The urge to panic was strong, but it was entirely possible that this was all an issue of failed communication.

After all, she could have returned to the dining area or any number of other places, the library, music room, movie theater, game room, or the pool…the ship was a floating carnival.

Still, she had promised to go back to their cabin and she wasn’t here.

Forcing himself to remain calm, he tried to think of the best search strategy. He couldn’t scour the entire ship effectively, one it would take too long if she were in danger and secondly it was entirely possible he would miss her if they were both in transit.

He couldn’t have her paged without putting her at risk.

As his heart rate accelerated, he became more aware of the pendant hanging beneath his shirt.

Pulling it out, he slid the panels apart. Sure enough, there was her tracking signal. He had never been so thankful that he married a scientist. As a last thought, he picked up the transponder…in case of an emergency.

The night air was growing colder by the moment, but as Scott quietly followed Tessa’s signal he barely noticed.

The farther he went, the more he was convinced that something had gone drastically wrong. The signal was leading away from the entertainment portions of the ship as well as the staterooms.

It was leading him towards the crew quarters – the functional part of the vessel. Arriving at the double doors politely marked, “Employees and Crew only beyond this point” he considered his options.

 He had to find Tessa, but it was not an option to start down the hall and be turned back. It was time to call Patrick and hope he was in time.


	5. The Mission: Part II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some comments/issues in this chapter: First, it contains conversations about PTSD and concussions. I am definitely not a medical professional. Please don't take any of the following discussions as medical recommendations. The PTSD issue in particular will be revisited later in the story because the way it is addressed here is insufficient (in my limited opinion). Also, there are more original characters in this story than what I would normally write for V/M fic, but I'm hesitant to make fellow figure skaters the bad guys...and there are a lot of bad guys in this story. I also had a hard time finding a timeline for promotion within the Canadian Army - so I'm taking some creative license on Scott's military rank. I hope you enjoy part two of the onboard shenanigans.

Tessa felt as if she had been hit in the head with a baseball bat, but the cobwebs were slowly starting to clear as she attempted to sit up. “Please be careful Dr. Virtue-Moir. I’m afraid my boys may have been a little too eager in their desire to bring you to me. You fell down a flight of stairs and hit your head. I assure you, they will be dealt with for their ill manners.”

Putting her fingers gingerly to her temple she was relieved to see that while she was bleeding the wound was not serious. The man sitting in front of her held a damp towel that had traces of the same liquid her fingertips now bore. “Can I get you some Motrin? Perhaps a glass of water?”

Reminding herself to be cautious, she tried to recall exactly what had happened. “May I have the towel?”

The man was in his fifties with grey around his temples. He spoke with a slight accent that she couldn’t quite place…perhaps British or maybe South African. He extended the towel and helped her sit upright.

The room was spinning, but she felt more in control facing him directly than laying on the couch. “Why did you want to see me?”

He looked at her curiously. “What do you remember?”

She tried to choose her words carefully as she began, “Some of it is fuzzy…I was on my way back to my cabin when two men met me. They said their employer wanted to consult me regarding a science project. I was quite startled, but I offered them a card. The next thing I remember was…I think one of them pulled out a gun, but maybe they only pointed to it. I’m not sure. Anyway, I ran…and hit something.”

She was positive she had been hit – not the other way around – but she wasn’t going to level that accusation. “Are you the man they wanted me to meet?”

Her host offered an apologetic smile, “I’m afraid so, my name is Stéphane. I do apologize for the ordeal you went through. I instructed them to be nothing but gracious. Naturally, if they had brought me your card I would have called you and we could have arranged this whole introduction in a civilized manner. I’m afraid they are more accustomed to armed thugs than to beautiful scientists. I cannot apologize enough.”

Tessa couldn’t suppress her look of skepticism, but remembering the number of criminals on board and the nature of their mission she decided to play along. “Well, if it’s all the same to you, I think I’d like to call my husband and we can talk about whatever you had in mind later. I’m not feeling particularly well.”

Stéphane nodded in commiseration. “Of course, but since you are here, will you take a look at something for me?”

She started to open her mouth in protest, deciding that she definitely did not like the man in front of her, but he interrupted, “I know you do not feel well, but I am with the South African government. We recently had a modified nerve agent stolen from one of our facilities and I have traced it to this ship. The problem is that I’m simply a field agent. I haven’t been able to identify the players, and since I don’t know much about the serum itself I find myself at a loss. Surely you would be willing to help me keep such a dangerous weapon out of the hands of the wrong people?”

Tessa’s mind went into overdrive. Not for a moment did she believe that his story was the unfiltered version of the truth, even if he was an agent of the South African government.

Not to mention that she couldn’t let him know that she had pre-existing knowledge of the weapon. Nor could she be unmoved by his pleas…after all, he would expect some sort of response from her.

Above all, she had to find a way to communicate with Scott.

Calming her nerves she inquired, “What do you want me to do?”

Stéphane looked at her in curiosity, “No questions about my story or asking me to authenticate my identity?”

Tessa rolled her eyes, wincing at the movement, “Logically, I have no way to know if you’re telling me the truth or not. Asking for an identity confirmation would be pointless, you could have fake credentials. I also have no way of knowing if something like that was stolen or if you have indeed traced it here…the only concrete issue that I can start from is my actions. So, what do you want me to do?”

Her host inclined his head in acknowledgment. “That is a credible deduction. I need you to help me identify a place where they might be hiding the stolen item.”

She shifted uncomfortably. Her head was throbbing incessantly, but she was afraid to accept anything to eat or drink from this man.

She still couldn’t remember what had knocked her out, but if the amount of pain she were in was any indication she had either been hit or pushed. “Is the nerve agent a gas, liquid, solid…?”

“The last we saw of it, it was a liquid. It was in twelve pressurized eight ounce vials.”

“May I have some paper and a pen?”

They were provided in short order. She asked several other questions such as what the agent was made of, the shelf life, the scientist who had concocted the substance.

Noises were starting to blend as the time wore on. The symptoms of a concussion were all present and she thought fainting sounded like the most heavenly option, but she had to find a way to contact Scott.

The one constant that surprised her through her entire conversation with Stéphane was the depth of information he provided.

No agent from another government would disclose such incredible detail of their weapons projects, but this man knew all the answers, and he was giving them to her.

That suggested one of several unpleasant possibilities.

First, he likely knew the developer personally or at least had been fully briefed on the man’s work. Secondly, he had to be privy to government projects from another country or he was an arms dealer that was exceptionally well connected. Thirdly, he was giving her all of this information, which meant he truly felt he could trust her or he was planning to kill her.

As she kept writing, it became increasingly apparent there would not be an opportunity to contact Scott.

She could only hope that he would remember to follow her tracker.

A knock sounded on the door as Tessa’s heart leapt into her throat. The voice on the other side of the portal was not the one she had been longing for all night, but it was close.

Patrick’s professional tones were insisting with the greatest of deference that he was there to deliver the beer they had ordered.

After a moment, when the argument seemed to be continuing, Stéphane rose to see what was happening.

He quickly fell over, while the man standing on guard in the corner slumped to the floor as well.

Tessa turned to see Scott entering the room. She had never been so relieved to see anyone in her entire life.

He and Patrick quickly shut the door while he came to kneel in front of her.

She couldn’t quite stem the tears rolling down her cheeks. The pain in her head and shoulder, the stress, and the relief at being found all combined to overwhelm her senses as she went into his outstretched arms.

Scott felt sick. He and Patrick had moved as quickly as they could, but if Tessa’s pale face, bleeding temple, and slightly unfocused gaze was any indication they hadn’t been quite fast enough.

She was making a valiant effort to recover and was trying to explain what had happened. “Are they dead?”

Patrick fielded that question, “No, just tranquilized. They’ll be out for a few hours.”

Scott gently probed her forehead. “We need to get you medical attention.”

Tessa shook her head, but had to stop when the room started spinning. She handed him her notes as he moved to join her on the couch. “He said that his name was Stéphane and that he was working for the South African Government.”

As she went on to recount the entire story, Patrick’s brows winged upward while Scott felt his heart clench.

She had been remarkable. She never lost her nerve or her cool. She hadn’t given them any indication that she was working for CSIS, and she had managed to find out valuable information on the weapon they were looking for.

She had accomplished all of that while she was in a semi-concussive state.

Patrick began moving the bodies to another side of the room, zip tying their hands together. “You should get her looked at. I’ll fill Ottawa in. I’m sure they’ll want to talk to the two of you. Maybe when she’s feeling better she can sort through some of the notes she made and see if they can help us find the gas.”

Tessa interrupted them, “It’s not a gas.”

The two men looked at her in surprise. “At least he said it was still in liquid format contained in twelve eight ounce bottles. According to him, the containers are pressurized, but they would probably still want to keep them in a cool place – but not frozen.”

Scott returned to her side. “You’re quite a woman you know. Still working even when you’re about to pass out.”

Tessa offered him a tired smile. “I think you might be right you know. I think I might pass out.”

Helping her stand, he soon abandoned that plan and simply picked her up.

* * *

The Doctor looked his concern when they explained that she had tripped on the train of her dress and fallen down a flight of steps. “You are verging on a concussion Dr. Virtue-Moir. When did you fall?”

Tessa was still aware enough to field questions with the objective of dispelling suspicion. “It was a couple of hours ago, but I thought it would get better. I know as someone who studies the human brain I should have come to see you right away, but I’m never sick and I felt like such a goose for tripping on my own dress…”

The physician looked at the train flowing behind her and the three-inch stilettos and shook his head. “It’s a wonder you can stand upright at all with those contraptions on your feet. I’m surprised we don’t have more women falling down steps.”

This whole time Scott had been watching the scene unfold with genuine concern – there was no need to pretend. He could have lost her. She had been kidnapped.

However the Doctor was continuing his instructions. “The next forty-eight hours are the most important. Of course, she needs rest. No strenuous activity or undue stress. Still, she seems relatively coherent and is not displaying signs of acute concussion. I am hopeful that she will be back to normal activities in a few days.”

Scott helped her to her feet – half tempted to carry her back to their cabin, but they needed the Doctor to believe the injury was less serious than it was.

Too, she seemed more stable now that she had some pain medication in her system. She looked up at him with those enormous emerald eyes and offered in her most contrite voice, “I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you darling. We should have just gone ahead and come right away instead of waiting.”

She was amazing. The Doctor was practically melting into a puddle of goo at the sight of their affection.

Leaning in to kiss her, both for their cover – and because he was so thankful she was alive, he smiled, “I’m just glad it’s not more serious. Come on, we should get you into bed.”

* * *

It was three in the morning and Tessa couldn’t quite decide what was wrong. There was too much movement and someone was talking.

Forcing her eyes open, she tried to locate the source of the noise. It didn’t take long to realize that it was coming from Scott.

He was agitated and mumbling under his breath about not stepping on landmines or leaving a man behind.

She couldn’t decide what to do. He might just be having a bad dream and it would soon pass, but his face was contorted with anxiety.

She knew enough about PTSD to know that this “dream” could be much more serious. Standing up to avoid any knee jerk reaction that he might have, she called his name. “Scott wake up, you’re having a bad dream.”

There was no change. “Scott…Captain.”

His eyes flew open as he sat up ramrod straight in bed, chest heaving, in an attempt to banish the demons tormenting his mind. His gaze returned to focus as he looked around locating the sympathetic gaze of his wife.

His voice sounded strangled to his own ears, but he managed to ask, “Did I wake you up?”

She sat back down on the bed. “You were having a nightmare.”

He looked at the wall trying to decide what to say. She had been through enough trauma for one night without having to relive the terrors that sometimes invaded his dreams.

Instead of waiting for him to explain she quietly began, “I don’t know enough about your psychological makeup to make a judgment, but I have studied soldiers with PTSD extensively. If I had to guess, you have or at least had a case of that, and it occasionally flares up when you’ve been put under extreme stress…like your partner being kidnapped. You felt helpless and it opened up old wounds.”

Scott met her gaze with nothing but sadness as he gently reached for her hand. “You know I used to be Special Forces. A year and a half ago I was leading a four man team to extract a prisoner. We had three veterans and one rookie. He had no business being on such a dangerous op, but everyone has to start somewhere. Our target was in a country with which we have a decidedly antagonistic relationship. He was a scumbag, but he knew too much about our defense systems so we had our orders.”

Scott’s eyes closed as if it would make it easier to say the words if he wasn’t looking at her, “We were actually almost out of the compound when I heard the click. Griggs, the twenty-two year old kid had stepped on a landmine. I was in the front with the target and another JTF member. Dartmouth was the closest to the kid. He went back – we don’t leave a brother behind. I turned around just in time to see both of them blown apart.”

Silence reigned for a few moments as Tessa squeezed his hand in reassurance. Finally he continued, “I’ve lost men before, but never quite like that. We got our target out. He traded his information for a new life. He’s walking around free and the price was two good men. I wasn’t sure I could go back after that, and two weeks later I realized I wouldn’t have to. CSIS came calling. They recruited me, and since I needed to escape, I accepted their offer.”

He traced a finger down her cheek, “Most days I’m fine. I don’t think about the mission every day anymore, but sometimes on days like this…I can’t shake it. When I feel helpless, it reminds me of that moment. I couldn’t stop them from dying, and sometimes I worry that I won’t be able to protect the people around me.”

At this last admission, he laid back down, playing with her fingers which were still loosely entwined with his own.

She looked at him deliberately, needing him to understand what she was about to say. “Scott I can’t begin to imagine what you went through – not just that night, but all the one’s before it as well when you had to watch other people die, when you had to kill men yourself. I’m not going to pretend to have any answers.”

Her voice was hesitant before she continued, “I studied PTSD in various stages for several years. We made some progress, but we also found layers of seemingly contradictory data. Every soldier is different because they arrive in the military with different backgrounds and coping mechanisms. Beyond that, they are exposed to such different traumas. It makes it difficult to draw conclusions or find solutions.”

Scott’s gaze finally held hers as she finished, “However, one common factor always emerged. People who had strong ties with family and friends and those who were honest about their experiences and feelings made more progress towards healing than those who tried to ignore what had happened. I’m not going to assume you have or haven’t been talking to someone or several someone’s…but I want you to know that I’m here to listen – and not from a clinical perspective. As a…”

Here her voice trailed off and Scott watched as she tried to label what their relationship was. They were married, and they clearly cared for one another, but they hadn’t said I love you. They hadn’t promised each other forever.

Finally, she reached out to touch his necklace. “As your partner…on paper, and in reality – who has only known you for a little while, but already cares a great deal about you.”

He reached up to push an errant strand of hair away from her face. “Thank you. I think that’s a good label for us right now, but I have to tell you, I’m well on my way to seeing you as more than that. I wasn’t sure what I’d do with myself if something happened to you, and not just because I’d feel that I’d let you down…I’d miss you.”

Snuggling into his embrace and finding the familiar beat of his heart, she whispered, “I’m glad you found me.”

He waited for her breathing to even out. It was four in the morning by this point, and he didn’t plan to fall back asleep. He didn’t want to risk waking her up again, she needed her rest.

CSIS was working around the clock to process her notes and generate intelligence on the possible buyers. Patrick was waiting with three unconscious bodies while their identities and stories were checked. This mission had turned out to be far more dangerous and complicated than anyone had anticipated.

Part of him was ready to jump out of bed and start arresting people, but that’s not how this game worked. They needed the seller in custody as well as the buyer – and it sounded like most of the people on board were intermediaries.

Concentrating on facts and what he could control, he willed his mind back into an orderly fashion. There was too much at stake for him to be distracted by the past.

Tessa had woken up around six-thirty unable to sleep any longer with the pain in her neck and head. At seven-thirty sharp a knock sounded on their stateroom door.

Scott opened it to find Patrick standing there with a tray of food. “Compliments of the Captain. He heard that Dr. Virtue-Moir had a bit of a spill last night and was anxious to know if she is feeling better this morning.”

Tessa plastered a brave smile on her face, “Please tell the Captain I am much better this morning. I still have a slight headache, but thank him for checking. How in the world did he find out?”

This last question was asked with a pointed look. Patrick knew she was asking more than the obvious, “He and the Doctor are apparently good friends.”

Tessa frowned. “That is a violation of so many HIPPA laws…still I don’t suppose it matters at this point.”

Scott couldn’t suppress a laugh. They were facing half a dozen arms dealers, she had been kidnapped, they still couldn’t locate a deadly nerve agent, but his wife was worried about HIPPA laws.

Patrick apparently found her statement to be a similar source of humor, but he continued. “The men who detained you last night were indeed South African.”

Tessa interrupted him. “Were?”

Patrick waved his hand to dispel her concern. “As you assumed, they were not Government agents. Rather, they seem to be a sort of mercenary for hire group that the creator of the nerve agent hired to recover his invention.”

Patrick handed Scott a flash drive with additional information, “The South African Government is just as concerned as our own…and they are giving this investigation their full cooperation. Everyone knows what is at stake.”

Turning back to Tessa he offered a small smile, “But to allay your concerns, they aren’t dead. They were discretely removed from the ship in the early hours of the morning. They will be held indefinitely…at least until we’re sure they don’t have any additional information that can be useful. After that they will be extradited back to South Africa where they will face multiple charges, everything from murder, extortion, money laundering, and sex trafficking…they aren’t too particular about what they do as long as they can make a profit from it.”

Tessa couldn’t help but feel relieved. They might have kidnapped her, and while she didn’t want to shake their hand and make peace, she was glad they hadn’t been dropped over the side of the ship in the middle of the night to serve as a shark’s breakfast.

Scott reviewed the new information on his laptop, “So these are our new candidates yeah?”

Patrick nodded, “Yes, those are the new top candidates. They have the funding and capability of pulling a purchase like this off. They also match your descriptions of the men in the stateroom yesterday.”

Tessa studied the pictures and the electronic copies of Scott’s notes, “You said you thought one of them was South African.”

He nodded in agreement, which earned him a contemplative frown, “Do we know who stole the nerve agent? I don’t mean the man here to sell it, but rather the man who actually stole it.”

Patrick clicked through a few more screens before finally landing on one without a picture. “Ottawa has tentatively stated that they think it might be the Poet. No one has a picture of him, but he leaves a poem at each crime scene. They found one at the lab where the nerve agent was being developed.”

“Can I get copies of all his notes as well as specifics on the lab and conditions in which the weapon was being kept?”

Patrick pulled out his satellite phone to request the information while Scott joined her by the table. “What are you thinking?”

She didn’t take her eyes off the scribbled information in front of her, “I think there are too many South African’s in this equation.”

His look was somewhat dubious, but she was completely serious. Her instincts had been good so far, and her mind saw even the most basic problems in unique ways.

Besides, if she was in their cabin working on a paper trail she would be safe and he could run down other leads.

Patrick interrupted his internal soliloquy. “The data you requested has been transferred.”

Leaving her ensconced in a chair with his laptop, a pen and paper and a plethora of notes spread around her, he had to smile. She could certainly get lost in her work.

As he and Patrick tried to track down the men CSIS had identified, he occasionally wondered if Tessa was making any progress.

Around one o’clock he re-entered their room bearing lunch. She was exactly where he had left her that morning; the only difference was that more notes had been added to the pile around her.

She glanced up to offer him a brief smile. He returned the gesture, holding up the sandwiches he had grabbed them from one of the dozen stands around the ship. “Any progress?”

She hesitated before replying. “Promise you won’t take what I’m about to say as absolute fact, and that you’ll tell me if you think I’m completely crazy?”

He took a seat opposite her before nodding his head. She turned the screen around to reveal a math equation that was full of more shapes and letters than numbers.

He didn’t even want to think about how complicated it would be to solve, but she was beginning her explanation. “This is an equation I designed to filter the data we currently have. The risk that has been taken in order to procure the nerve agent, the fact that there are no actual end users here only intermediaries, the location selected for the buy, the nationalities of those represented, the buying power…you get the idea. Anyway, when I started crunching the actual numbers I started getting very wrong answers – at least wrong if our assumptions were correct. The payouts being offered are good, but they aren’t nearly as much as one might expect if there really was a deadly nerve agent for sale.”

“You’re saying the risk isn’t worth the reward?”

She shook her head, “No…that’s not exactly what I mean, at least not all of what I mean. If you had a weapon that could kill everyone within six city blocks with a small dose and you had a dozen people who wanted to purchase it from you what would be the best way to maximize your profit and keep everyone happy at the same time?”

Scott considered the problem, he felt as if he was in tenth grade Chemistry again and the teacher was patiently waiting for him to understand a basic concept that was apparent to her. “How about you tell me your theory and we’ll go from there?”

“Because these people are intermediaries we have to assume that whoever they’re working for is either more powerful, richer, or even more evil. We’ve been thinking that whoever purchases the nerve agent plans to use it, but while an attack would be devastating, it would be even better if someone reverse engineered the product and was able to mass produce it.”

Scott nodded in agreement. Even if he wasn’t quite sure how she was arriving at her conclusions they were logical. “So the question that must be asked is why insist on selling it all to one person?”

He remembered the conversation from the night before where the man specifically stated that the seller wanted to hawk it as a batch. “Maybe whoever stole the serum doesn’t have the ability to reverse engineer the product?”

“That is very possible, and I would also say very likely all things considered, but it still makes more sense for them to parcel off at least some of the vials individually. Theoretically, it is very possible that one vial of the agent, when considered as an investment, would be worth more than some of the bids we heard.”

Scott nodded in acknowledgement before she continued, “So we’re left with three questions. First, why would the seller insist on only one purchaser? Secondly, why is the product being undervalued? Third, why haven’t we found a trace or whisper of the serum anywhere on the ship?”

Scott considered her queries, “Well, from a strictly logical standpoint…any reasonable seller wouldn’t insist on only one purchaser, especially considering his target audience. The serum is undervalued because the people who want all twelve vials are the ones who only want to use it as a one-time weapon, and they aren’t as rich as those who would use it as an investment…”

Scott’s voice trailed off before a look of shock crossed his face, “Of course…I’m such an idiot – it hasn’t been tested. I mean they tried it out on a few lab animals and inferred the kill radius from that, but there isn’t any hard data on how the serum would interact with humans. And we haven’t found a weapons case because…it’s not on board, at least not all of it. One vial could be concealed, but not the entire batch. That means…”

He looked at Tessa for confirmation and she shook her head in agreement. “That means we’re the test.”

He felt a wave of panic creep up his spine, but quickly suppressed it. “You got all that because there were too many South African’s in the equation?”

She began moving paperwork so she could stand. “It was a matter of probability. Statistically, the likelihood of so many people being from that one country was very low. That meant that at least one of them was involved as an inside man. I think one of them is the Poet.”

“You think he’s here monitoring the interest levels?”

“Yes, his writings are full of rants against injustice and the upper classes. I don’t think he stole the serum for someone else. I think this is his big leap. He’s going to test it on the people he believes are the problem with the world’s system. It’s like a terrorist attack within a test with a tremendous possibility of profit and recognition.”

Tessa handed him a copy of her notes, “Once the world sees what this product is capable of he will have not dozens, but hundreds of bidders, including almost every civilized country in the world who will want to get the serum out of the hands of a madman.”

Scott stood, “So what do we do? I mean logically, he isn’t going to detonate the agent while he is on board. Yet leaving too early would arouse suspicion.”

Tessa turned the laptop towards him. “Do you know which of these men was the one speaking with the South African accent?”

He shook his head. “It’s not one of them.”

“Do you think you could render a rough sketch of what he might look like?”

Scott began a quick drawing while Tessa admitted Patrick into their room. This time he was carrying hot towels. She had to admire the man’s resourcefulness in maintaining his cover.

Scott’s laptop came to life with General Lawson’s face and several other members of CSIS administration. She had five minutes to explain an idea that had taken her all morning to develop, and several days of data gathering to reach.

When she finished, the group on the other end of the line was silent. Tessa knew she was holding her breath, but she couldn’t help herself.

There were times that her thought processes were so abstract and purely what they were that she found it almost impossible to express it to another human being who didn’t share the same knowledge base.

Finally the General spoke. “Scott do you think she’s right?”

She met Scott’s hazel gaze and found nothing but calm assurance there. “General I know it flies in the face of what we have been assuming this whole time, but yes. There are too many variables that don’t add up, and the cruise ship is the perfect test point. It’s self-contained. People can’t run away or hide. And considering how much he despises the upper class, this is a way for the Poet to have his cake and eat it too. Besides, if she is right then we can’t afford to ignore her. More than a thousand lives are at stake.”

The General nodded, “Tessa what do you need?”

“We need to know about his escape route. He won’t want to risk being on board when the serum is released. Next, we need to discover how he plans to disperse the toxin. I doubt he will convert it to gas because with wind currents he could get unpredictable results. I think he’ll try to insert it into a pre-existing liquid source such as the water supply.”

Patrick and Scott were marking places of interest as she talked. General Lawson’s voice betrayed tones of strain, “Do people need to ingest it or can it kill on contact?”

Tessa hesitated, “I’m not sure. Since this hasn’t been tested before there is no way to know, but as terrible as they are saying it is…I would think it would be deadly regardless of contact type. Even if it didn’t kill, it is a nerve agent – it would cause agonizing pain. From what I can tell, the chemical makeup of the serum targets a person’s pain receptors. It won’t be a pretty sight.”

Scott moved to stand in front of the monitor. “General we need to extract Tessa. The situation has become too dangerous.”

The older man was about to reply when Tessa cut them both off. “No, after reading the Poet’s work, I believe that selling the nerve gas is only part of his plan. He has made this personal. He stole a chemical weapon developed by his home nation, which he hates. He plans to demonstrate its power for the whole world to see before he sells it to the highest bidder, but that only satisfies part of his psychosis. If he follows the train of logic set up by his writings, he will want to make a political statement as well as a financial gain. There has to be an attack coming somewhere. Besides, no one else knows what to look for or has a way to test the substance if it is found.”

Scott didn’t look too pleased, but General Lawson overruled his request. “She stays – she’s our best chance at finding him and figuring out what his target is. We’ll raise the alert at this end, but we need hard data. Patrick you need to shut down all the water supplies. We’ll sell a story about contamination and fly out a backup team under the guise of an emergency supply plane.”

Turning to Scott, Tessa could tell he wasn’t happy, but this was no time to argue. Looking at Patrick she instructed, “Once you get the water supplies shut down come find me. It will be perfectly natural for a scientist to be called in to identify the nature of the contagion. It will also give us the perfect opportunity to find the nerve agent, and dismantle the injection device…hopefully before it has an opportunity to enter the main valves of the ship. It should also keep our cover intact.”

That man made a few more notes before turning to leave. Scott had apparently resigned himself to her staying because as she turned back to him prepared for an argument he simply noted, “The Poet will likely be leaving by boat. We need to keep an eye on lifeboats being deployed. He won’t go back to his stateroom. He doesn’t need to meet with the buyers if he’s not planning to sell.”

She silently agreed, as she looked over the blueprints of the ship. Scott quickly marked three locations as possible escape routes. “These would be his best options."

Patrick’s voice crackled over the radio, “The water is shut off. We’re going to have some very irate passengers in a few moments, but I’ve embedded the coding that will make it look like the water is contaminated.”

Scott responded with the information about one of the possible egress points while he and Tessa went to check the other two.

At first, everything seemed to be in order, but it didn’t take long for a man in his mid-thirties to make an appearance. He was in typical boating attire and would be considered handsome except for a scar that ran down the side of his face.

His movements were precise, but agitation was visible on his face.

Scott quietly slipped behind him and after a short struggle, the man lay unconscious on the deck.

Tessa radioed Patrick. “We’ve got him. Can you meet us back in our cabin?”

Some of the other passengers looked at them in surprise as they half carried the unconscious man through the halls, but Scott laughingly noted that the poor man had gotten an early start.

Apparently, that was sufficient explanation for idle onlookers and it didn’t take long to safely deposit him in a chair and cuff him to it.

Rousing him from his stupor, Scott began his interrogation. Tessa was only able to observe a few minutes before a knock sounded at the door.

It was the Captain in person, “Dr. Virtue-Moir, I’m afraid we’ve had a rather unfortunate incident. While I’d like to keep this situation under wraps, it will be almost impossible to do so and I wonder if I might appeal to your expertise?”

Tessa stepped outside, “Of course I’d be happy to help if I can. Scott’s trying to take a nap though so I don’t want to disturb him.”

The Captain motioned for her to follow him. “It seems there has been a leak in one of our water tanks and some of the supply has been contaminated. We aren’t quite sure how this happened or when, but thankfully one of our technicians saw the warning and turned off the supply so no one should be in any danger. Perhaps if you can identify the source of the leak we can expedite the repair process? We will of course release emergency stores, and we’ve called for choppers to be on standby if we need to begin evacuations.”

Tessa nodded her head in sympathy, “Of course Captain. I’ll need a water sample and if I could see your water delivery system my analysis will go more smoothly.”

As the Captain escorted her through the crew quarters, she suppressed a shudder remembering her last foray into this portion of the ship.

Focusing on the water tanks, she evaluated the seals before issuing orders in a tone that few dared argue with, “I will need five test tubes or shot glasses if you don’t have test tubes. They must be carefully wiped out with a clean towel that was washed before the contamination process began. I will need two tables set up in a stable area. I need rubbing alcohol, cotton swabs, popsicle sticks from the medical area, tweezers…”

As she began this list, she slipped her shoes off and began climbing the ladder that led to the top of the water tank. “How many tanks do you have?”

“Five.”

She rattled off a list of other supplies she needed as she quickly checked the other four tanks. She still hadn’t found any sign of the serum and was starting to feel something akin to panic at the thought that she might have been wrong this entire time.

Tramping down that emotion she forced herself to think. _Logically the device is not on one of the water tanks besides there would be no way for him to know which tank was empty or full. He would have had to put devices on all five to be safe and you already know he didn’t bring that much serum with him…_

At that moment, a spray of seawater blew in. The Pacific was incredibly salty. “Salt!”

Captain Richards looked at her in surprise and confusion over this last outburst.

She tried to calm her voice. “I need salt – that should be the last item on the list, and I’d like to see your desalinization equipment while I’m here. It will help me complete the last part of my observational research.”

Leading the way, he opened one final door. Dominating a large area and connected with thousands of wires and pipes stood the state of the art equipment.

It pulled in seawater, removed the salt, and was then pumped into the rooms for showers, sinks, tap water, the swimming pools, hot tubs, all of it came from this machine.

Tessa wasn’t quite sure where to start. “Where is the man who turned off the water?”

Patrick who had been trailing behind stepped forward, “I did Doctor.”

She nodded her head absently while her mind worked overtime trying to pinpoint the best place for a dispersion point. “Excellent. Can you explain to me how this works?”

The Captain offered, “I can get one of our Engineers to come…”

Patrick waved his hand. “I don’t mind. The water is pulled in from outside the ship here.”

He and Tessa climbed onto the platform that housed the main valve. Both of them were feverishly searching for an eight ounce vial of deadly poison. It was almost five o’clock by this point. The serum could be released at any moment, and even though the water was turned off, no one wanted to risk a dispersion.

“It is then filtered through these dual pipes here for several minutes. It is run through a series of strains and purifications before arriving at an intermediate holding point where it is heated to a boiling point to remove any final impurities.”

“Mmmhmm…where does it get injected for general use aboard the ship?”

He crawled further along the platform reaching the end where one final pipe attached to a large tank. Tessa could almost hear an audible sigh. “Right here…it is injected right here.”

She could see what he was pointing to. It was the serum. The valve had a timer attached to it…programmed for precisely five-thirty.

Further examination revealed no explosive devices or other failsafe precautions so she gingerly removed the serum. Tessa felt like weeping with relief.

Whispering in Patrick’s ear, she gave instructions, “We need to get this to a safe place. I need a container with dry ice and then something we can seal it in, but it has to be pressurized.”

Patrick nodded watching her descend with trepidation. Neither of them would be able to relax until that deadly little vial had been destroyed or was safely in a government vault.

Standing beside the Captain, she nodded her head sagely. “Of course I won’t know until the lab results are back, but I would say your filtering system is compromised and I am concerned that you may have a sewage leak.”

The Captain went a shade paler, “That is serious. We should give people the choice to evacuate – we can repair a filter issue, but we can’t contain a sewage leak especially if we don’t know how serious it is or how much it has contaminated.”

Tessa offered a commiserating gaze, “I’ll run a couple of tests to confirm my suspicions, but it might be wise to take precautions.”

Entering the room they had prepared as a makeshift laboratory, Tessa was both surprised and relieved to see Scott standing there. “I didn’t know you’d woken up.”

He took her cue, offering her a kiss, “I came in search of you, and they told me you were helping the Captain.”

An officer rushed in to announce. “Captain emergency supplies have landed. Where do you want to store them?”

“I think the kitchen area for now. If the good Doctor’s suspicions are correct we don’t need to complicate the contamination any further by putting more water in the holding tanks.”

Tessa looked up from her work long enough to give Scott a pointed stare. “I was just explaining my theory to the Captain that the filtering system for the saltwater isn’t working, and that I was worried there might be a sewage leak.”

Scott feigned his concern, desperately hoping she and Patrick had found the serum. Tessa mixed together several other concoctions before holding up her now pleasantly blue water to the light. “Yes…I’m afraid I was right this water is testing positive for contamination. Now I can move on to the filtration system…”

The Captain sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Don’t worry about it Doctor. Thank you for your help. If we have a sewage leak then we need to give people the opportunity to leave the ship. I’ll call in the choppers. If a few people want to stay until we get into port then we can manage, but we can’t handle a full crew and a hundreds of passengers without access to clean water.”

Tessa lightly touched the man’s arm. “I am so sorry.”

Making their way back to their stateroom, she was relieved to see that Patrick had arrived with the dry ice and a pressurized container. There were also two men dressed in ship uniforms standing guard over their prisoner.

The Poet himself was sullenly staring at the wall.

“Has he said anything?” She addressed this question to Scott who shook his head.

“Not a thing, but I’m hoping that now he knows he failed he’ll rethink his strategy and be more cooperative. After all, we have him in custody and if a terrorist attack happens we know exactly what’s going to happen to him.”

Tessa studied the man before her. She had read his manifestos...getting him to talk might not be as easy as everyone hoped.

They had prevented one tragedy, but somewhere out there the other half of his plan was in motion.

Innocent people were going to die and Tessa felt powerless to stop it.


	6. The Interrogation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know if there’s too much smut? I’m not sure which parts of this story you guys are liking so I’m just writing :)

Dawn was just breaking when they arrived in Ottawa.

The Poet, who had finally been identified as Randolph Demas, was taken straight to an interrogation room.

Tessa, Scott, and an army of agents and cryptographers were feverishly reading the array of notes and files they had been able to compile.

However, hours of interrogation had failed to produce any viable information.

It was nine o’clock and Tessa could feel her eyes rebelling against the lack of sleep, but she had one last idea. “General, can I speak with him?”

Andrew looked at her as if he was seeing her for the first time. “You want to talk with him?”

“Yes, I think I may be able to at least eliminate some targets even based on non-verbal cues. We don’t have much time left if he holds true to the logical time-frame…besides you don’t have anything to lose and possibly everything to gain.”

Every eye in the room was turned to the General waiting for his answer.

Tessa was not a trained Agent. She had never interrogated a prisoner in her life.

With a sigh that seemed to come from his soul, the older man nodded. “You’re right. We don’t have anything to lose and no one is making any progress on this end.”

She nodded her head. “Thank you. I need a whiteboard, and can you cue up the projector to display parts of South Africa?”

One of the technicians nodded in affirmation.

“I also need two earwigs, and a polygraph machine.”

The earwigs were handed to her while someone else went to get the machine she requested. She handed the second earwig to Scott. “I’m going to be watching him most of the time, but occasionally I will turn my back to look at the board. It’s a strategy to allow him moments where he can be less guarded in his expressions, but I need you to observe him and report anything he responds to. I’ll cross my arm over my heart to rest on my collar bone if I need you to give me an opinion on anything else.”

Scott put the earwig in, concern clearly written in his gaze, “Be careful.”

In spite of the room full of people, she leaned up and gave him a kiss. “See you in a minute.”

Everyone watched this scene unfold in unabashed curiosity.

Scott didn’t care what they thought, only that Tessa was safe. As he positioned himself behind the double-sided window so he could have the optimal view of the interrogation room he spared a thought to hope she knew what she was doing.

Taking a deep breath, Tessa opened the door.

Randolph Demas didn’t respond, but she was undeterred. “Hello Randolph my name is Doctor Tessa Virtue-Moir. I have a PhD in Neurobiology and Bioengineering. I am also the Vice President of Research and Development at Virtue Designs. My family owns the company. CSIS invited me to interrogate you because they can’t seem to make any progress in getting you to talk.”

She leaned across the table with a sardonic smile, “Fortunately for me…I don’t need you to talk. You see I specialize in neural mapping and biological agents. I have been studying the human brain for years. You know I dissected my first one when I was five. Thankfully, for you, I’ve moved on to less invasive tools. Now, since we’re not at a hospital or laboratory, I’m going to have to improvise a little bit.”

She began pulling wires from the polygraph machine and modifying the diodes in order to attach them to his head.

Scott couldn’t help but wonder if all this was for show or if she was really getting ready to read the man’s brain activity.

With most people he would have dismissed the idea out of hand, but with Tessa you couldn’t be sure. If anyone could read someone’s brain waves with a polygraph machine, it would be her. “There, now we can begin. You see all of this started when a message was intercepted offering a corrosive agent.”

She went on to explain her work that had identified the cipher, their work in observing the initial meeting with weapons dealers, the discovery of the vial…the failure of his plans.

Throughout her whole discussion, she made a point to show him the error of his thinking and the way she had been able to connect the dots because of his mistakes. She was deliberately drawing him in – making him feel threatened by her, fueling his rage.

Finally, she sat across the table from him. “Now that you understand where you went wrong, let me tell you why your terrorist plot is going to fail.”

For the first time during her entire discussion, Randolph looked uncertain.

She motioned to the wall. I’m going to show you a slide of South Africa, and help you understand why I know what you’ve been up to. The technicians had the requested image up almost immediately. She moved back to the whiteboard making notes. “I traced your writing all the way back to your time in College. You grew up in Johannesburg.”

The slide changed to feature that city. “You began your illustrious career of theft as a child, and while it occasionally landed you on the wrong side of the authorities it was also your ticket out of the ghetto. You were resourceful, stealing anything someone wanted if they were willing to pay you enough…eventually you graduated from College and led a double life. Your “business ventures”, which were in reality nothing more than breaking and entering, allowed you to move in certain circles…but you never really belonged.”

Randolph was getting angry. The muscles in his jaw were twitching while his pupils were dilating, but Tessa wasn’t done. “You grew to hate them…the rich, entitled, undeserving masses who trampled over the common rabble and occasionally threw a fundraiser to help with Aids prevention. You despise them. You want them to suffer, to understand that their privilege is not a protection from their just deserts. You want to make an example on a world stage, and you want to strike at your former government on a world scale.”

She was standing behind him; her voice was almost a whisper, taunting him – the last resort.

If this didn’t work, nothing else would. He would know they had played their final card. “You’re going to attack the ceremony at the U.N. this afternoon. When world leaders sign the joint commitment for ending child endangerment...tell me where did you hide the serum? I’m betting the pens, easy to contain, until they’re used…easy to swap out. Who cares which pen is used?”

Randolph’s eyes could have kindled firewood. As chaos erupted, Scott kept watching what was unfolding in the next room. People began calling every law enforcement acronym they could think of in an attempt to prevent the mass murder of the world’s leaders.

Tessa was still talking, “Tell me Randolph, did your partner switch the pens? They must be part of the South African President’s retinue. When we check to see who is missing, how long do you think it will take us to find them?”

That was the last straw as the man in front of her began screaming obscenities. His final words were spat out, “You’ll never find her. She’s long gone as well as the rest of the serum.”

Tessa smiled, “She? Thank you.”

As she turned to leave, Scott found himself thankful that the man was cuffed to the chair as well as the table. He was practically frothing at the mouth in anger.

She turned one last time, “She wouldn’t happen to be your sister would she?”

If the tirade of expletives were any indication, they had their answer.

Meeting her in the hall, Scott couldn’t help but notice that almost all the color had drained from her face and there were tears in her eyes.

Opening his arms, she went into them willingly before bursting into tears. He felt tears sting the back of his own eyes in turn.

She had been incredible. She had gotten them the information they needed to stop a terrorist attack that would have unfolded on live television, but that hardened façade was not her.

She was a scientist who loved knowledge for the sake of knowledge itself. She loved discovery, not the mental torture she had just put that man through.

It had been a wretched forty-eight hours for her and he knew she needed this release. Finally, the tears calmed from body shaking sobs to gentle sniffles.

Pulling away from his embrace, she tried to wipe the rivulets away from her cheeks, without much success.

Both of them were surprised when a tissue box was placed in her hands.

Turning, they saw General Lawson along with about half the office staff staring at them. Tessa turned a soft shade of crimson as she offered, “I hope you all know that I appreciate how much of a team effort this whole endeavor has been. I just needed him to target his anger at me. The easiest way to do that was to appear arrogant and overconfident…”

The General interrupted her, “You have nothing to apologize for. You prevented a terrorist attack, distilled mountains of data, and caught one of the world’s most wanted criminals. You deserve some sort of medal, and if we had time I’d get one for you.”

She shook her head, “You’re right, we don’t have time. His sister is still out there somewhere with the nerve agent. We have to find her.”

Scott looked at her in uncertainty. “You’re sure you’re up for this?”

Taking a deep breath, she met his eyes. “I better be, but do you think I could have breakfast first?”

Scott couldn’t help his laughter. None of them had eaten for hours, but only Tessa would ask if they could have breakfast before they caught a terrorist.

Re-entering the analysis room, everyone turned to look at her. For a moment, she was nonplussed, but after looking at the General and receiving a nod of approval from him she began. “Can I have a map of New York and the South African Consulate? Also will the South African’s release footage or information about when their attaché left?”

Patrick had reappeared in a suit by this point and he asked, “You’re sure she left?”

Tessa’s look was quietly long-suffering, “If you were going to release a deadly nerve agent on live television from a pen that you had placed on the table in a room full of surveillance…”

He uttered something that sounded like a grunt, but also an acknowledgement. “Point taken. So where do you think she would go?”

One of the technicians announced that she had the footage and it was time stamped from eight o'clock that morning.

Another agent reported that the pen had been secured, and the serum it contained was now in the hands of the FBI and representatives from the ICC.

The room erupted into a spontaneous cheer at this announcement before returning to the problem at hand. By this point, directors or representatives from every national agency as well as several international ones were on conference calls or video feeds.

Tessa tried not to think of the pressure as she studied the map. Muted conversation was the only sound as she began detailing possible escape routes. “She wouldn’t take public transportation in the city. There are too many variables; a passenger might accidentally knock the case over. In addition, she might be recognized now that her picture is out to law enforcement agencies, not to mention the fact that she and her brother identify with “normal” people. They wouldn’t want to target that demographic.”

That information was quietly relayed to field agents as she continued, “A taxi is too risky – no, risky is the wrong word…too uncontrollable. If you had a deadly agent with you and were risking your own life until it is safely delivered you would leave no stone unturned to insure that you can control what happens to it…which means she either walked or drove to her destination. Do we have any footage of her outside the embassy?”

After a moment of silence, the technicians reported that they were working on it, but the sister, finally identified as Natalia Demas, had turned into an alley without surveillance.

Tessa studied the map as everyone watched with bated breath. “She needs a quick egress point after the sale…we haven’t received any chatter about the serum officially changing hands?”

Several voices answered the negative.

Finally, she walked to the map and tapped the East River. “Somewhere around the East River. She could take a ferry or hire a charter and escape the immediate area before meeting with her buyer…”

She trailed off as she looked at the small device she had been holding in her hand. “We got a definite response from that statement.”

Scott looked at her quizzically as she offered him one of her uncertain shrugs, “I kept the diodes on Randolph and put my earwig in his ear. I wanted to see if anything we said triggered a response. Of course lots of things have, but this is remarkable.”

Even in the middle of calling harbor patrols and the American Coast Guard, people still glanced up to stare at her. “Don’t worry. He could only hear what I wanted him to.”

Scott turned back to the interrogation room with something like amazement, “I thought that whole set up was just for show. You mean you really rigged a polygraph machine to read brain waves?”

She couldn’t quite hide her amusement. “No, brain waves are far more complicated to read. It would take hours to modify a polygraph machine for those purposes, and even then, the data would be practically useless. I simply put two diodes on his head for show and cut their recording capabilities, but I attached the third to his neck to pick up his heartbeat. Naturally this type of measurement is less predictable than I’d like, but it can still be helpful – especially considering how desperate we are for any type of information.”

As Scott handed her a sandwich, he couldn’t help but wonder if she was even farther out of his league than he thought.

Finally, the phone call everyone had been holding their breath for came through.

The Coast Guard had arrested Natalia and the nerve agent was in custody.

Tessa was practically asleep on his shoulder, but she still offered him a relieved smile. General Lawson sent them home to rest and recover.

* * *

 

Scott expected Tessa to go straight to bed, but instead she turned on the shower. He had to wince as he remembered the Doctor’s orders to “take it easy”.

None of what they had been doing for the past few days fell within those instructions.

Tessa had just emerged from a veritable wall of fog in a bathrobe when his phone rang.

Glancing at her to make sure she wasn’t going to pass out, he felt his heart sink when he noticed it was the General’s number.

The chances that he was calling to congratulate them on a job well done were slim. “Hello?”

The older man’s voice resonated on the other end of the line. “Scott we have a problem. Natalia Demas’ buyer evaded capture. We have a lead on him though. His name is Angel de Santos. He is a Spanish arms dealer. I’m sending you his file.”

Scott moved to his laptop. With an exasperated sigh he intoned, “Let me guess, he’s a middle man.”

The General grunted, “He is THE middle man. He is suspected of providing services to hundreds of people around the world. He rarely appears on anyone’s radar because he is so good. Based on chatter both through our networks and the sailors in port who talked with his men, we believe he is headed to Italy to meet his contact.”

By this time, Scott had turned the phone on speaker and was reviewing the data sent by the General in more detail.

Tessa had joined him, and the smell of her shampoo was doing strange things to his focus. “What do you want us to smell...I mean do…what do you want us to do General?”

There was a pause on the other end of the phone. “I’m sending you in. There is no way we could prep another team in time, and even if we could, you two are by far our best options. Tessa’s wealth opens many doors others would have difficulty walking through. It will be perfectly natural for the two of you to try for a second honeymoon since your first ended rather disastrously and even made world news. You have reserved the penthouse suite in the most expensive hotel. A man named Antony Vincezzi is throwing a party at his villa on the Amalfi coast. While Vincezzi is suspected of all manner of crimes we do not think he was de Santos’ buyer. However, we have good reason to believe that de Santos will be present. Everyone who is anyone is being invited to this party. I would be willing to wager a great deal that your invitation will be waiting for you when you get to Italy. If not, our techs are forging one that should pass inspection.”

Scott shifted his gaze to his wife. She looked exhausted. “When would we need to leave?”

The General’s tone was almost apologetic. “I’m afraid it has to be tonight. We need you to pick up de Santos’ trail as quickly as possible. Tessa is of the correct social caliber to interact with him – if we can manage to locate him. This is the best opportunity we’ve ever had to catch him and trace his clients.”

Scott sighed, “I’m guessing you have a jet fueled and ready to go?”

“Tessa’s private plane is waiting with priority clearance. Of course we’re paying for fuel. There will be a car outside in fifteen minutes to drive you to the airport. Hopefully, you can get some rest on the flight.”

Tessa’s look was skeptical, but she moved to begin packing.

The General’s voice was quieter as he noted, “There is something I have debated sharing with you two, but considering the way your last mission turned out and how challenging this one could be, I think you need to be warned. We have suspected for some time that there is a leak in CSIS. We’ve never been able to pin down anything specific, but the way de Santos escaped at the last minute would give further credence to this idea. If that is the case, you will need to be extra careful. If you’re identities are compromised there won’t be much we can do about it. Patrick will go as your back-up again, but we can’t get him into the party. Vincezzi has his own staff and we can’t get Patrick hired within forty-eight hours.”

Tessa face was filled with irony, “I didn’t think there was anything you couldn’t do.”

General Lawson paused, “Be safe. Unless something comes up, you will have some time to recuperate once you land. We just need to get you there and make sure you have a good cover story established.”

As the phone went silent, Scott looked at Tessa. She had managed to change into sweatpants and pack jewelry. She also packed toiletries and threw in a handful of undergarments, books, and her tablet, but she had barely packed any clothes.

Scott had finished his own packing by this point. After years of living out of suitcases, he was an expert on efficient travel.

When she still hadn’t made much progress on the clothes front, he decided to intervene. “T, do you think you should pack something else to wear?”

She conceded by adding two swimsuits, two pairs of pants and three shirts.”

“Babe, do you want me to finish packing for you?”

This offer earned him a frown. “If we’re going to establish the fact that we’re two rich people with nothing better to do than take a second honeymoon I think shopping will form an important part of that cover. My purchases will be the talk of the town. I’ve packed jewelry and shoes which are not as easy to find or replace. Besides, I don’t feel like making the effort to sort through what I might need or not.”

She looked as if she were moments away from crying again so he decided not to argue. Instead, he added a few extra articles of clothing to her bag before throwing in a hat as an afterthought. Truthfully, he wasn’t sure if he was being helpful. What he was packing might not even make a complete outfit, and he was only being scowled at for his efforts.

They were both rescued by a knock on the door. The chauffeur offered to carry their bags. Scott let him have two so that he’d have a free arm to help Tessa if she needed it. They arrived at the airport in silence and boarded the plane in the same way.

Patrick, or Lewis as he was about to become again, was catching a commercial flight to avoid suspicion so they were the only passengers.

After an initial greeting of the crew, Tessa headed straight for the back of the plane, up a short flight of stairs and opened a door. Scott followed her with their carry-on bags.

A large king sized bed dominated the space they had entered while a TV and other items were securely bolted to the wall. Another door opened to a private bathroom.

Tessa sank down on the bed staring listlessly out the window. Scott took the tray the flight attendant brought them. “Thanks. She’s got a pretty bad headache.”

The woman offered a commiserating glance, and Tessa did her best to smile in return.

Closing the door, Scott glanced over the contents of the tray. There was two of everything - hot towels, cold compresses, water bottles, lotion, chocolate, and Motrin. He looked at Tessa in silent inquiry. “I have a hard time sleeping on planes. The crew have gotten used to taking care of me. They meet me with the staples when I board. If it was earlier in the day they would have included something with caffeine in it.”

He sat down across from her. “You are going to try and sleep though right?”

Fishing out her toothbrush, she nodded. “Of course, and hopefully I’m tired enough that I will sleep, but that hasn’t made much of a difference in the past.”

He finished preparing for bed as well and returned to find her with her face buried in one of the hot towels. She wasn’t used to this life. She was a scientist, and while she had agreed to help their Government, she wasn’t exactly a trained agent.

Gently rubbing the tension in her shoulders he asked, “Do you want to talk about what’s happened the last few days or what the General said?”

She considered for a few seconds, “I know we need to, but I’m not thinking clearly right now. Can we talk about it tomorrow?”

“Of course.”

As he laid down on the opposite side of the bed Tessa met his gaze. “I’m sorry I haven’t been the most helpful or happy person the last few hours. I haven’t ever done well when I’m this sleep deprived. That may sound like an excuse, but it is also the truth.”

Scott pushed a damp strand of hair away from her face. “You have nothing to be sorry for. I feel awful that you’re having to go through this mess as your first assignment. Besides sweetheart, you’re not just sleep deprived. You’re also dealing the effects of a concussion. And you have been incredibly useful. Thousands of people would be dead without your help.”

“Thank you for taking care of me.”

He reached out to kiss her forehead, “Always.”

She thought about that last statement, this wasn’t going to last for “always”.

They had agreed to explore their feelings, they were having sex, she grew to respect and care for him more every day – but that was it.

They hadn’t made progress beyond that point. Granted, they hadn’t really had time for existential conversations, but as she tried to muddle through the confusion and exhaustion she just wanted to cry.

The thought of only having five years, of having their accomplishments and failures logged into hard drives for clinical evaluation felt like an insult to everything she was currently feeling.

Scott tried to be very still. Tessa had her back to him and he couldn’t tell if she was asleep or not.

They had not ended their conversation on a bad note, and she seemed calmer – not upset at any rate.

Truthfully, he felt awful. He had never heard of anyone having such a difficult first mission, and that was after people had gone through months of training, sometimes years depending on what they had done before joining the CSIS.

He wanted to wrap her in his arms and keep her safe from everything that might hurt her. This mission was dangerous.

If there truly was a mole, they could be walking into a trap. Their lives could depend on one person’s greed or on mere expediency.

Interwoven with all these thoughts as well as names, faces, and facts about their targets were the emotions that seemed to have moved in for good.

Somewhere around the time that she was pouting because he was making her pack a suitcase he realized he loved her.

It was both the most natural realization, and the most terrifying discovery.

Tessa turned over to face him and he felt instantly contrite, “I’m sorry, did I wake you?”

Her gaze was wistful. “No, I wasn’t asleep yet…Scott…”

He waited for her to finish her sentence, but nothing was forthcoming. “Tess you know you can ask me anything right?”

 “Will you hold me?”

His smile was tender as he moved closer and opened his arms. “You never have to ask.”

Tossing her pillow to the floor, she nestled into his side, finding his heartbeat in short order.

Before thirty minutes had passed the evenness of her breathing told him she was asleep.

He couldn’t quite wipe the grin off his face. She had missed him. She might not be ready to talk about her feelings, but holding the woman he loved in his arms…it all seemed just a little more manageable.

* * *

 

Tessa frowned at the offending voice that was calling her name. She couldn’t quite place the tone, but as she squinted against the light she found Scott’s face.

He had just stepped out of the shower and was holding a breakfast tray. Trying to force her mind into gear she started with the facts she could remember.

They were on a plane, they had been flying to Italy, and they were supposed to track an arms dealer to his buyer by infiltrating a party…their identities may have been compromised.

This last thought prompted a frown, but she was soon distracted by Scott’s inquisitive glance.

It didn’t take long for her to realize that the entire time she had been thinking she was also staring at his well chiseled chest.

Shaking her head to clear the final cobwebs she tried to ignore the blush creeping up her cheeks. “I was thinking about what we’re supposed to be doing today, and what the General said.”

He sat the tray down beside her before responding. “It is pretty serious. We are going to have to be very careful. My instincts are to not let you out of my sight after what happened on board that ship, but I guess we’ll just have to play the hand we get dealt.”

The Captain’s voice broke into their conversation at that point. “We will be landing in approximately forty-five minutes Mr. Moir and Dr. Virtue-Moir. Please let us know if you need anything now before we begin landing procedures.”

Exhaling deliberately Tessa walked to the bathroom and began getting ready. Scott interrupted her, “Babe we’re going straight to the hotel, you don’t have to do anything special.”

Sorting through her makeup bag, she didn’t bother looking at him. “Scott, we’re here to impress these people. There will be photographers trying to catch a glimpse of us…we have to give them something to look at, and if this whole thing is going to succeed we need to sell the story. I can’t walk out of here in sweatpants and have the effect we’re hoping for.”

In thirty minutes, she had managed a remarkable transformation although she finally gave up on her hair and simply pulled it back into a side braid. She muttered something about not drying it the night before.

Following her lead, he changed into black jeans and a blue button down. They would make a sufficient impression.

As they made their way through customs, he saw that his wife had been right. Photographers lined the walkway. He could almost read the headlines, _“Billionaire and her husband retreat to Amalfi after nightmare honeymoon,” “Newlyweds try their luck in Europe”, “Tessa Virtue-Moir Vice President of multi-billion dollar company wore…”_

The press would all find a different way to report the same information. It didn’t matter, this was part of their job now – to use their position to further their objectives.

Still, he couldn’t quite keep the frustration out of his voice, “We had photographers trying to snap pictures at the wedding but nothing like this.”

She smiled somewhat ruefully. “Most of the time they leave me alone. I lead a pretty boring life. After all most people don’t care about biological or neural advances, but there are times that I’m considered more interesting. Case in point, when I try for round number two of a failed honeymoon. The cruise ship debacle was all over the news. The press will probably want a quote.”

Finally arriving at their hotel, Scott glanced around the room. Everything was pristine. There were even personal touches such as Tessa’s favorite flowers, chocolate, and champagne.

He shook his head. It was mind boggling to think what money and influence could buy – even without asking.

He was just thankful that it hadn’t gone to her head.

She didn’t have an entitled bone in her body. Actually, she rarely asked for anything above what was already provided. He knew a few “normal” people who could have taken lessons from her.

Sitting on the bed he asked, “So, are you going shopping?”

She looked at her watch, “Not for at least another hour.”

“What’s so magical about an hour?”

She sighed, “It’s expected. Socialites leave immediately or lounge on their balconies. They are desperate to have their picture taken and are afraid the photographers will get bored and leave. Established individuals who don’t need their lives publicized to succeed or receive validation would make them wait.”

Standing, she opened the balcony door, “Besides, we’re on our honeymoon. We should be spotted in swimwear and varying stages of affection, but all at a distance and at unexpected moments. We’re young and in love, but we don’t welcome the intrusion to our personal lives.”

He heart clenched a little at her disillusioned tone.

She was still exhausted, so he pulled her down beside him wrapping her in his arms. “Hey, we may be selling a cover story – and in this case a small cover story within a larger one, but we’re real. We’re two people who genuinely care about one another.”

She tilted her head back, meeting his eyes before tugging on his shirt collar and mumbling, “genuinely care” against his lips.

It didn’t take long until she was straddling his hips, “You know Mr. Moir, for newlyweds we have not had nearly enough sex.”

Scott moved to rain a trail of kisses down her neck, lightly nipping behind her ear, and smiling when she shuddered at his touch.

“We have been a little busy…but apparently we have an entire hour all to ourselves. Doctor Virtue-Moir…”

He ran his hands up her back, unclasping her bra, “We could snuggle…”

Tessa hummed non-commitally as she pulled his shirt over his head.

Scott reciprocated, rubbing his hands over her nipples stimulating them into peaks in no time, “We could go for a walk on the beach.”

Tessa rolled her eyes as she fumbled with his belt buckle.

Scott smiled even as he tugged her out of her own jeans, “We could go for a swim – or maybe rent paddle boards…”

Her smile was wicked as she freed his cock and pumped him a few times, increasing pressure as she went, “Or…we could make up for lost time.”

Scott’s eyes were the color of chocolate as he met her eyes, “You have the best ideas you know?”

Sinking onto him, she took a few minutes to adjust. She was wet, but he hadn’t stretched her at all before beginning and the sudden sensation of being filled – of being so connected – was more than a little overwhelming.

Scott watched Tessa’s eyes slide shut in both bliss and perhaps a measure of discomfort…pleasurable discomfort hopefully.

He waited until her green eyes once more met his before he began moving. It only took a few minutes for her to stretch further to accommodate him, but almost immediately, she was contracting again – her inner muscles practically pushing him out with each thrust.

“T, can I try something?”

Tessa stopped kissing him long enough to search his gaze and then nod in agreement.

“Stop me if you don’t like it.”

Reaching behind her, he wound her long braid around his fist, gradually pulling.

The way her eyes rolled back in her head should be illegal and he almost came undone at the sight of her body’s nearly instinctual surrender to him.

Sucking lightly on her pulse point he whispered, “Touch yourself.”

Within moments, she was unraveling around him. He kept thrusting through a second smaller crest before finally finding his own release.

 Once they both caught their breath, Scott couldn’t help the small smirk playing around the corners of his mouth, “Just to be clear, I am fully prepared to make up for lost time at any point in this process.”

Tessa was more than aware that she was grinning like an idiot, but she couldn’t be bothered to care. “Noted.”

Cleaning up, they changed clothes before heading their separate ways. Tessa to shop and Scott to surf while she was out.

Their invitation had arrived for Vincezzi’s party. Hopefully, they hadn’t come all this way for nothing.

Although, considering the beautiful weather, her handsome companion, and the mind-blowing sex they already had…“nothing” wasn’t really the word she would use.

Hopefully, they hadn’t come all this way only to miss their target and return empty-handed.

 


	7. The Honeymoon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was I feeling inspired by those pictures of Tessa and Scott in the black dress and suit...? :)

Scott finished fastening his cuff-links with a huff. Tessa’s shopping had not only resulted in a small mountain of clothes for her, but a similarly sized mountain for him.

She returned to their hotel room accompanied by a tailor who chattered away in a mixture of Italian and English while Tessa made comments about fit.

The result was remarkable. Even he could see the difference in an Armani suit – and an Armani suit that that had been sculpted just for his body.

He looked like he belonged at a party with the world’s richest and most powerful.

It was tempting to focus on the fact that it was Tessa’s money.

There had been nasty rumors on the ship and even more in the gossip tabloids, that he had married her for money.

They called him the boy toy…and a variety of other names that he chose not to repeat.

Apparently, the gossip columns hadn’t bothered to report that he signed a prenuptial agreement. He wouldn’t get anything from Tessa – didn’t want anything from her (at least not monetarily).

Still, there were times he felt like the boy toy – the object she had picked up and was sculpting to fit her world.

It wasn't her fault. Tessa seemed quite oblivious to the slander, but it was hard to ignore the rumors – especially when some of his friends were sending him the press links. They meant it to be funny, but it was a little too close to home.

The Government had asked for this and he had agreed. He just hadn't considered quite how much change would be involved.

He was being reshaped and introduced to entirely new groups of people – it was vastly different from Ilderton and the community in which he had grown up.

Focusing his thoughts, he took a cleansing breath, “T, where did you plant the transponder so we can talk to Patrick?”

“It’s in my earring, and our receiver is in your diamond lapel pin. It will vibrate for a simple yes, one long vibrate for no or vibrate every few seconds intermittently if there is a problem. Of course we will be able to turn it on to hear him if we need to, but since we can’t exactly wear earwigs to an event like this, I thought this might be the best way to handle it. My hair pin also has a video camera on it so we can record video and Patrick can identify the guests.”

He wanted to laugh at her level of preparation and creativity in hiding their technology.

Turning, he was about to ask her if she had hidden a vial of poison in her necklace, a knife in her shoe, or perhaps a magical wand in her dress, but instead he felt his breath catch as she walked into the room.

He had never seen her like this. She didn’t wear much makeup on a daily basis. Even on their wedding day she had opted for a fresher look, but right now dramatic was the only word that adequately described her.

Her dress was a black lace confection with a plunging neckline. Most of her back was exposed as well. Her eyes were smoky, glowing, emeralds...she was stunning.

She let him stare for a few seconds before asking, “Do you think I’ll do?”

“You look…gorgeous. I mean you always look beautiful, but when you step out in this people won’t be able to think of anything else. I might feel a twinge or two of jealousy when people stare.”

She reached out to straighten his pocket square. “You look quite handsome yourself.”

He followed her gaze, “I don’t think I’ve ever worn anything this tailored.”

Meeting his eyes she replied, “Well the man had a lot to work with.”

He tried not to actually preen at her compliment, but based on the mirth sparkling in her eyes he hadn’t quite succeeded.

The flashes from the cameras were almost blinding as they made their way out of the hotel, but the tinted windows of the car were a welcome shield.

Thankfully, paparazzi were not allowed anywhere near Antony Vincezzi’s private villa. His guests were far too secretive to have their pictures posted in gossip magazines.

Rolling up before the rambling house, it became clear that it was more of a renovated castle with the old walls still forming a sort of outer entrance to the opulently decorated courtyard.

Handing their invitation to an attendant, they were ushered into the party.

A quick glance revealed no useful information, de Santos was nowhere in sight and there were at least fifty people milling around the courtyard.

Tessa looked at him, “Ok, new plan. I vote we split up. I’m going to walk towards the fountain so that I can see from center outward. You sweep the perimeter.”

She said all this in his ear as if she was telling him a salacious secret. He responded in kind, “I don’t like splitting up, but if you promise not to go inside until we re-group then alright.”

She gave him a lingering kiss before turning and to make her way towards the fountain. He had been right in his assertion of people staring.

She seemed oblivious to the attention, but he wasn’t.

Forcing himself to remember the mission and forget the way that last kiss had made him feel he began walking around the room, stopping to introduce himself or talk with people as he went.

When he mentioned his name there were polite acknowledgements, if he brought up Tessa his conversationalist always became more interested.

He had made it through about ten people when he began wondering if everyone in the room were somehow involved in illegal, or at the very least unethical, activity.

Almost all of them had a “marvelous project” for Dr. Virtue-Moir.

They would then launch into a short or sometimes long explanation as to why his wife would be the best candidate to lead their research, but most conversations ended with the same disclaimer. “Of course she would have practically unlimited resources, but she would need to keep everything very hush, hush.”

So far, three weapons projects, a directed energy mechanism, two innovative drugs, and four classified jobs had all been pitched.

He smiled and nodded at what he hoped were the right times promising to mention their offers to his wife.

Once word spread, some people offered him congratulations on his marriage to such an incredible package.

He was tempted to punch those individuals especially because they would almost all look at Tessa and leeringly stare while offering their good wishes.

Moving towards a quiet alcove, he hoped he might be left alone for a few minutes in order to observe the guests in peace, but a quiet voice interrupted his meditations. “Are you hiding from anyone in particular?”

Turning, he was surprised to see a man in his late fifties sitting on a bench.

Scott’s tone was somewhat rueful as he answered, “Not from anyone specifically, just the noise.”

The man indicated the seat beside him. “I’ve been here for quite some time and no one has noticed yet.”

Scott debated the wisdom of taking the offered seat, but he could still see Tessa from this vantage point and if his new acquaintance had really been sitting here for a while he might have noticed something. “Thank you. I haven’t quite gotten used to this whole “party” atmosphere.”

The older man laughed, “Hopefully, you won’t. It defies the very definition of the term party. No one has any fun – they might as well call it what it is. A networking function where everyone can brag about their accomplishments or how much money they made last quarter.”

Tessa was practically holding court by this point. She was the unquestioned Queen and everyone else obsequiously paid homage. “Yeah…I’m not quite sure how to handle these situations. I just recently married into this whole…whatever the correct term for rich people is. I love my wife to distraction, but I hadn’t really bargained on the atmosphere that would come with her.”

The man beside him smiled, “She is here tonight?”

Scott inclined his head, “That’s her by the fountain.”

“And her name?”

It was clear that she was feeling bored by the conversations flowing around her. He knew it was almost time to go rescue her and move inside. “Tessa…Tessa Virtue-Moir.”

The older man looked at his companion once more and then back to the woman seated by the fountain. “You are married to Dr. Virtue…Virtue-Moir that is? What do you do?”

Scott wanted to escape, but instead he answered. “Security consulting.”

Instead of looking at him with disdain the older man smiled, “You must have loved her a great deal to marry her knowing that others would think you were doing so for her money.”

Scott was surprised by the man’s perception, but he was continuing, “My name is Stavros. I too married into money. I spent my life proving that I wasn’t just her husband. She died a few years ago, and while I am happy that I earned the respect I so craved, I would trade some of that respect if I could have spent more time with her. Be transparent with your Tessa – share your heart, and don’t focus too much on what other people think.”

Scott felt a load lift from his shoulders.

No one had been able to articulate the feelings that had been building up inside him. It would be difficult to start the conversation, to be honest with her about how he was feeling, but it was time. “Thank you. I think that is the best advice I’ve gotten since I met her.”

Stavros waved his hand as if to brush his thanks aside, “Don’t bother thanking an old man like me. Go to her. She clearly cares nothing for the company currently surrounding her.”

Shaking the older man’s hand, Scott walked towards Tessa with a new sense of freedom.

There was trepidation to be sure. She might not reciprocate his feelings, but it was time to tell her the truth.

His heart skipped a beat with joy when he finally arrived at the small audience that had surrounded his wife and their eyes met.

Extending his hand, he pulled her to his side before offering an apologetic smile to the group that was watching with envy. “Sorry, but she’s already taken.”

Tessa sighed in relief, not even bothering to apologize for leaving. As they walked into the main part of the house she intoned, “I vote we go back to the old plan where we don’t split up.”

Capturing her lips, he whispered, “Deal.”

* * *

 

Scott was starting to get worried. They had been inside the villa for more than an hour, and still hadn’t seen de Santos.

Tessa hadn’t left his side and the two of them together were being treated with a little more respect than they had received separately.

People were no longer mobbing her or treating him as some sort of second-class citizen.

Their host, Antony Vincezzi finally found his way to them, “Mr. Moir and Dr. Virtue-Moir I am so delighted that you were in town to accept my invitation. It was dreadful to hear about your ordeal aboard that cruise ship. You know I’ve sailed with that company before, but I seriously doubt I will be returning after such a lapse in. . . . well everything.”

Tessa mustered a suitably horrified expression. “It was just awful. Thankfully, they flew emergency supplies in rather quickly. Still, knowing we were on board with a sanitation leak – and worse yet – not knowing exactly how long it had been going on was dreadful.”

Antony looked his commiseration, “Well you certainly picked the right piece of paradise to forget your ordeal. You must allow me to introduce you to some people. Although, if I had to guess, I would say most people have already introduced themselves to you. Your paper on neural networking completely redefined the way I approach my business partners.”

Tessa and Scott smiled, though both seriously doubted he was telling the truth.

After all, the man was suspected of dozens of crimes. There weren’t many ways to alter your business dealings with thieves and liars.

“And you Mr. Moir, your work consulting in the field of security is remarkable. Is it true that you broke into the Chrysler Building just to prove it was unsafe?”

Scott adopted an air of mystery. “I can neither confirm nor deny those rumors for obvious reasons, but I was asked to consult on the security protocol review. Apparently my unique expertise was indispensable.”

Antony let out a full-bellied laugh at this last statement. “I can see why you fell in love with him Dr. Virtue-Moir, that attitude would win over almost anyone.”

As their host walked them around the room, Tessa considered asking him if he knew de Santos.

They weren’t making any progress with identifying the man by traditional means, but surely if Scott wanted to do that he would ask?

Her husband’s voice interrupted her thoughts as he inquired in an almost bored tone, “Antony you don’t happen to know where I could get my hands on a private yacht for charter while we’re here do you? Tess and I have talked about purchasing one, but haven’t gotten around to it.”

Tessa wasn’t sure where he was going with this but she played along with enthusiasm as Scott continued, “We don’t know any of the local salesmen and I’m worried about not getting the best service or product. We’re not interested in anything cheap or shoddy – we intend for this second honeymoon to be filled with nothing but wonderful memories.”

Scott held his breath, de Santos was known as “the” salesmen. Antony might recommend any number of people, but if they were exceptionally lucky, one criminal might recommend another.

Their host practically beamed at them. “Of course you should buy a yacht. Especially now that you have someone so special to share it with. I know just the man for you to speak with. He may be too busy to help you personally, but he knows everyone and will make sure you are well taken care of.”

Calling an attendant over he instructed, “Find Mr. de Santos and tell him I have clients who world greatly benefit from his expertise.”

The man departed while their host began extolling the virtues of always having a private yacht available and how much more relaxing it was than having to fly everywhere.

Tessa was nodding in what she hoped were the right places and occasionally asking a question about their host’s sailing experience.

She was a natural at this. She simply allowed him to talk about his favorite subject… himself.

At last, the attendant returned with another man in tow. Extending his arms, Antony embraced de Santos as if he were a long lost brother.

Scott had a feeling that Antony loved almost everyone with the same level of passionate shallowness that allowed him to remain a committed narcissist. “Angel, you must meet my new friends. This is Dr. Tessa Virtue-Moir, although you might know her better by her maiden name of Virtue, and this is her husband, Mr. Scott Moir. He runs his own security firm and has managed quite a number of interesting ventures for which he is not fully prepared to confess.”

Antony threw a somewhat mischievous glance at Scott with this statement, “They desperately want to buy a new yacht and naturally I thought of you. Now I know you are an incredibly busy man, and I told them you might not be able to arrange their purchase directly. Still, I am sure you could make some recommendations. Obviously they don’t know any sellers here.”

The man they had been looking for all night was about as unassuming as anyone could be.

If you passed him on the street, you wouldn’t remember his face and that was probably one of the reasons he was so successful in his chosen profession.

That and the fact that he had developed an unparalleled ability to provide his customers with what they wanted.

Turning to Scott and Tessa, Angel practically beamed at them, “Any friends of Antony’s must be friends of mine as well. What prompted your interest in a yacht? Not that you need a reason for such a marvelous purchase.”

Tessa offered him one of her most disarming smiles, but it was also bittersweet as she began, “I had a somewhat traumatic experience when I was younger on board my parent’s yacht, but Scott loves the sea. The two of us have been talking about purchasing a luxury yacht for several weeks, and I think I’m ready to try again.”

At this declaration, she met his hazel eyes with such a look of love in her eyes that Scott wondered if she had missed her true calling in life and should have been an actress.

For his part, de Santos’ eyes were suspiciously moist.

Pulling out his handkerchief, Angel dabbed at the corner of his eyes muttering something about the wind. “I know just the thing for you and I will take care of it myself. There is a yacht presently docked in Positano, but I happen to know the owner wants to sell her. I’ll give him a call and arrange for it to be brought round. You can try the craft out and see if you like her. If not, we can look for something else. The possibilities are endless.”

Tessa offered him her hand. “I can’t thank you enough. We just weren't sure where to begin.”

De Santos kissed her fingertips before excusing himself.

Scott was getting ready to follow him when Tessa gently pulled him back, “Gently tiger…he’s not going anywhere.”

Scott looked at her in question, but she simply slid one of the gems on her ring open to reveal a tracker. “How many of those do you have?”

She smiled, “I’ll never tell. In all seriousness though, I have dozens of chips and I can simply attach them to different objects or embed them.”

“You planted a bug on him?”

She looped her arm through his and began to slowly walk around the room, “Not exactly. I developed a serum last year based on prototype technology. You put it anywhere on a person’s skin and it is absorbed. Unlike most biological trackers that bond with skin cells or even a few that bond with bodily fluids, this one is attracted to hard surfaces, such as bones. Granted it has only been tested on animals, but you should be able to track a subject for up to six weeks.”

He looked at her rather incredulously. “Is it safe? I mean if it has only been tested on animals?”

Tessa looked almost offended by this question, “Of course it’s safe. I’m a scientist not a murderer. All the chemical components are non-lethal. He won’t even know it’s in his body. The best part is that it isn’t on the market so there’s no way to trace it without my receivers. Actually, there are probably only three people who know I developed it.”

They had regained sight of de Santos by this point and Scott pulled Tessa onto the floor to join the other couples in a dance. “I would venture to guess the government would like to get their hands on that product.”

Tessa caught a movement from the corner of her eye as de Santos and another man moved into the shadows to have a private discussion. “I’m sure they would, and I’ll probably have to tell them now, but it is a highly invasive product. Can you imagine being able to trace anyone for six weeks? Besides, I hadn’t gotten around to human trials. Can you see Angel talking to that man?”

Scott nodded as he pulled her close and spoke into the transponder located in her earring. “Are you getting all this Patrick?”

His diamond stickpin vibrated lightly in response. He had to shake his head.

For someone who hadn’t bothered to pack many clothes, Tessa had brought enough technology to run four covert missions. “We should move closer and get a better picture of his face.”

As the dance finished he took her hand and moved towards the side of the room where de Santos had retreated.

Stopping to chat with a group of Italian politicians, Tessa maneuvered to get the best angle on their target’s face.

From what they could see, no products changed hands, but the conversation lasted well over twenty minutes.

Before the other man left for the evening, Scott managed to introduce himself, and embed the same tracking agent Tessa had already planted in de Santos. Now they would wait.

The next morning Scott’s laptop buzzed to life as General Lawson’s face appeared. “Good work you two. Tessa I want to talk with you as soon as possible about that new tracking agent.”

Andrew’s assistant handed him a stack of papers, “We have identified the man de Santos met with. His name is Ezequiel Ramirez. He left town almost immediately after last night’s party. We are tracking him. I understand you have a meeting with de Santos later?”

Scott nodded, “Yes sir, he’s bringing us a yacht for potential purchase.”

The General’s eyes widened considerably, “You do know that if you purchase a multi-million dollar yacht CSIS, in good conscience, cannot reimburse you?”

Tessa smiled, “I’ve been thinking of buying one for a while. Besides, I have several friends who love to sail. If I buy it and don’t like it, I’m sure one of them will take it off my hands for a reasonable rate of return.”

The older man relaxed, “Well, as long as we’re all on the same page. Continue reporting your progress and we will monitor Ramirez from our end. Any further insights?”

This question was not asked directly to Tessa, but it was clear that she was the intended target.

She shrugged her shoulders, “There isn’t enough data General. Now that we no longer have a weapons buy going down there isn’t a way to predict their behavior because we don’t have any known objective from which to work backwards. If we can figure out why Ramirez and de Santos were talking  then maybe we can make some inferences, but until then we’re in the dark. If you pick up on any chatter you could send it to us and we can review it.”

After the screen returned to black, Scott pulled her into his arms, “So, Dr. Virtue-Moir, what should we do today?”

Tessa allowed herself to get lost in his kiss for a few moments before sighing, “Well, we probably ought to wander through town or the forest to see if we find any old friends.”

Pulling away reluctantly he moved to change clothes, “Yeah…I guess we do actually have a job to do, but later...”

She captured his lips once more, “Yes please.”

Less than an hour later, they were wending their way through the old portion of town. While it was more run down than the popular tourist paths, it was remarkably beautiful and several people were strolling arm in arm down the street.

If Tessa’s receiver was correct, de Santos was only a few yards away, likely inside one of the buildings.

Ducking into a nearby street corner, Scott pulled Tessa into a close embrace on the pretext of kissing her.

Watching the door, between kisses, he spoke into the transponder that was now concealed in a different pair of earrings. “Patrick can you hear me?”

That man’s voice crackled to life over a transponder in his sunglasses. “Hear you and Tessa making out? Yeah, I can hear that loud and clear.”

Scott grinned while Tessa who just rolled her eyes. “We’ve located de Santos. His in an old tavern type building, but we’re not sure about going in. We don’t want to rouse his suspicions by running into him again.”

Tessa added, “He seems to be getting farther away, but it’s not like he is just moving horizontally.”

Switching the view on her screen she added, “It looks like he is below ground which would be entity plausible. These old taverns are notorious for their smuggling tunnels.”

Patrick’s voice was more serious. “I’m not far behind you; I’ll go in and see if I can see anything.”

Patrick passed them at that point without acknowledgment and entered the tavern. They could hear the conversation and slowly began making their way towards the end of the street.

After all, they could only make out for so long on a public street without raising eyebrows.

Patrick had introduced himself as a hiker who was staying in a local hostel. He and the manager had struck up a conversation based on how much they both hated the commercialization of travel, “I heard that you can explore some old ruins around here. Do you know where I could find some information on that?”

Luca, the manager, thought for a few moments. “There are some ruins up north, but they tend to be more touristy. Still it might be worth your time. We also have some rather famous tunnels right here in town. They were used for smuggling at one time, but now they are used mainly for storage. Some of them aren’t very safe, but they are well worth the risk.”

Patrick feigned interest, “You know when I was in Ireland I got to explore some tunnels like that. It was an incredible experience. Where do you think I could find a place to start?”

Scott and Tessa had taken a seat at an old café and ordered Italian ices, but they were struggling to focus as they listened to what was transpiring down the street.

They could almost picture Luca’s beaming face as he replied, “My friend you have come to the right place. My tavern connects directly to the tunnels. You must come back and explore when you have your gear. I would bring a hardhat as well. Like I said, it is a little dangerous down there.”

Tessa’s voice echoed in Patrick’s earpiece, “de Santos is on the move and we just got a call from the General. Ramirez appears to be off the coast. Apparently he is coming back - possibly to meet with Angel.”

Patrick thanked Luca and promised to return soon to take him upon his offer of exploration.

As he exited the tavern he avoided walking too close to his co-workers, but still asked, “Are you sure de Santos was directly below Luca's and what the hell is Ramirez doing back so soon?”

Tessa checked her monitor history, “This is accurate to within five feet. He had to have been there, or below there. Maybe what he was doing didn’t involve Luca. De Santos could be using the tunnels for any number of reasons and the tavern owners might not know. The Ramirez issue is strange. I would guess he is meeting with Angel, but I'm not sure why he had to leave and come back.”

Patrick hummed non-committally.

The ironic thing was that she was beginning to understand his non-verbal communication. His side-eye was something to behold.  

Tessa grinned mischievously, “He may be a bit skeptical, but I think he likes the old guy.”

Scott had to smile at her latest statement as he put his arm around her shoulders and headed toward the beach.

It was becoming clear that even if de Santos and Ramirez were not planning to meet one another, that was the most likely outcome of their current course.

Studying the coastline, Scott noted, “It makes sense you know. If the tunnels had been used to smuggle goods the thieves would have needed a place to load them onto the ships.”

Finally, de Santos stopped.

The two of them took a circuitous route to arrive at a vantage point where they could observe what was unfolding without being seen.

Patrick was taking up a position behind and above them in case surveillance moved in from land. They could see a beautiful yacht approaching. Its graceful lines cut through the waves with ease.

A boat was lowered and three crew members, two men that appeared to be security guards and Ramirez, made their way to shore.

Angel appeared to be alone. This was clearly not a meeting for pleasure.

After several moments of discussion, de Santos handed Ramirez a package.

The man checked the seal before nodding once.

He, in turn, handed over a set of keys.

From where they were laying, Scott and Tessa couldn’t hear what was transpiring, but their next steps were clear.

They needed to find out what was in the case de Santos had given Ramirez, and find out what the keys unlocked.

Scott switched channels and spoke to the team that was supposed to be tracking Ramirez. “Are you guys seeing this?”

“Yeah, we’re off the coast. How do you want to play it?”

“I think you should stay with Ramirez, we’ll stick with de Santos.”

At that moment, it became apparent that their plan had a flaw.

Instead of Ramirez heading back toward the boat, he began walking into the tunnels with a security guard while de Santos was taken to the yacht by the other man. “Change in plans, de Santos is coming your way. We’ll grab your guy.”

“Roger. We’ll keep an eye on yours.”

Moving back down the hill, Tessa switched to a dual screen monitor so they could track both men at once. Ramirez appeared to be retracing de Santos’ path almost precisely.

They followed Ramirez to a respectable hotel. Taking a note of the location and leaving Patrick to keep watch, they wended their way back to their own hotel.

In the middle of this, Scott’s phone rang. It was from an unknown caller, “This is Scott Moir, how may I help you?”

The voice on the other end of the line was practically ecstatic. “My friend, I have the yacht I promised your wife. When do you want to come see it?”

Scott could feel his brain go into overdrive at this announcement.

Surely the yacht they had just seen and the one de Santos wanted to show them wasn’t the same craft.

That would be too convenient, but then again the way things had been going, they were overdue for a bit of luck. “Angel, I will have to ask my wife, you know…don’t want to interfere with any plans. Give me just a minute.”

Putting his hand over the phone he left enough of it uncovered so that de Santos could still hear them. “Babe, Angel has that yacht you wanted to look at. When can we meet him?”

Tessa voice was practically saccharine, “I don’t care darling. We have dinner plans, but any other time works for me.”

Scott uncovered the phone. “Angel are you still there?”

After an affirmative answer Scott continued, “Can we see the yacht tonight, maybe around seven?”

“Of course, I’ll arrange it.”

Scott whispered almost conspiratorially, “Great, and Angel, just between you and me, do you think it would be possible for Tess and I to have the boat to ourselves tonight?”

The other man’s tone took on a knowing air, “How about I bring you the keys this afternoon and you two can explore on your own and then we can talk tomorrow.”

Scott knew he had him right where he wanted him, and they had secured all night to search the docks with a good excuse.

Hanging up he offered Tessa a thumbs up gesture. “It’s arranged. We’re going to spend the night aboard the yacht. Even if the craft he is showing us isn’t the same one that just arrived we will have a great cover to search the other boats.”

They were almost back at the hotel so Tessa put on her best smile and looped her hand through his arm. “Perhaps they are two different vessels, but given the time frame it is logical to assume they are the same ship. Not to mention the fact that if he and Ramirez are moving something illegally for a rich third party, our wanting to see the yacht is the perfect cover story. No one will question why a forty million dollar boat turned up without its owner when they think it’s being sold.”

Scott was almost afraid to hope, but he did start planning. If it was the same yacht, his first call would be Ottawa. They might have their first lead in this muddled disaster.

Scott met de Santos in the lobby, “Thank you for this. Tessa has no idea that we’re having dinner aboard. She hates not knowing what is going on, but secretly she loves when I plan something special.”

De Santos smiled knowingly, “You two seem to be made for each other. The reality of the world and the theory of the laboratory. How did you two meet?”

Scott was instantly alert. The question was innocent enough, but it opened a potential Pandora’s Box. “I attended one of her lectures in Ottawa. A friend recommended I go. I was more than a little skeptical, but once we started talking, I was hooked. I’ve never met anyone like her.”

De Santos shook his head, “Young love. It warms this old heart. I’ll come by tomorrow around noon. That should give you two time to explore and… wake-up.”

“Thank you. Where can I send your service fee?”

The other man brushed him off. “Don’t worry about it. We can discuss terms if you decide to purchase.”

“You’re sure?”

“Of course. That is what friends do for one another.”

Scott extended his hand. “Thank you my friend. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your help.”

Walking back upstairs, he was fully prepared to pick up where they had left off earlier in the morning.

Yet walking into their hotel room he felt his heart melt at the sight of Tessa in one of his shirts, curled around a pillow.

Tugging her into his side, he set an alarm.

This wasn’t exactly what he had envisioned, but he wanted it all with her – not just the passion filled moments, but also the laughter, snuggles, honesty, trust…love.

As soon as this mission was finished, he intended to tell her how he felt. He could only hope she felt the same.

Joining his wife in dreams, he knew they had a long evening ahead of them. An hour or two of rest would be helpful before they investigated a ship of that size.

Patrick was watching de Santos. The other team was running surveillance on Ramirez. Hopefully, they would have some answers before the night was over.


	8. The Ship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little shorter - not much, but a little. If I hadn't cut it off when I did we would have had a 10,000+ word chapter :) Also this chapter discusses clinical trials on animals. I in no way envision Tessa (the real one or the one in this story) condoning animal cruelty. I'm not envisioning any clinical trials where animals are harmed in order to be tested. If you have problems with this, I'm sorry...VD is a research company. Let me know if you have any serious concerns/questions...otherwise enjoy :)

Arriving on board the ship later that night, they began to sweep for bugs.

Scott could tell that Tessa was on edge even as she maintained inane babble about the grapes in their picnic basket and a woman’s ridiculous outfit on the beach earlier that day.

Finally, they exhaled a collective breath as all scans came back normal.

No one was watching or listening.

Not wanting to waste any more time, they got to work.

Within two hours, the ship had tested positive for blood in three completely distinct areas.

They also found traces of cocaine, heroin, and ecstasy, …Scott was beginning to wonder what sort of person owned this ship.

Ottawa was tracing that lead, but the yacht had been purchased through a shell corporation out of the Cayman Islands.

It was taking them a little longer than anticipated to cut through the red tape.

At that moment, Tessa let out a small squeal. Turning, he felt his heart drop to his toes. She was holding a Geiger counter…that couldn’t be good. “Did you find something?”

She had calmed down a little by this point. “Sorry, this storage area is testing positive for radiation, but judging by the concentration it has decayed significantly.”

“So that was a 'gosh that's terrible but we’re not going to die from radiation poisoning' squeal?”

“Tessa rolled her eyes, “Yes – I would say it’s at least twenty years old. The container is obviously much older than the ship itself. I can see why this cabinet is lead lined.”

He felt himself exhale in relief, “Ok, well that’s good news for our current investigation at least. Although I should probably update Ottawa. There aren’t too many people who could move radioactive material.”

Tessa nodded her head in acknowledgment as she continued searching and he moved to the next room to grab his laptop.

She could use the counter in her sleep so she began thinking about what might have been in the box de Santos had given Ramirez.

It was square, not rectangular and it was too small for most products. This would rule out traditional items such as laptops, cash, or valuable amounts of drugs.

This whole affair had been far too clandestine for it to be a simple exchange. Whatever “it” was had come by ship because she and Scott had provided that cover with their request to buy a yacht…or maybe there was something special about the ship that made it the ideal transportation method?

The yacht was privately owned and there was less security to go through than in an airport…nothing was sparking any inspiration.

Putting the Geiger counter away, she moved to join Scott in the next room. He was still talking – or to be more accurate – typing with Ottawa.

They wanted to limit how much communication they transmitted. “Can they enhance some of the photos and video that was taken earlier? I’d like a closer look at the container.”

Scott added her request before signing off. “They haven’t made much progress on their end. Did you find anything else?”

She shook her head ruefully. “You would think in the middle of what appears to be a veritable buffet of crime, we could pinpoint one lead. Then again, that’s part of the problem. We have so many options to choose from, and no definite ideas of where we should be looking.”

The footage from CSIS was coming through. Scott moved over to allow her a more unobstructed view of the laptop.

Tessa skipped forward until the moment of exchange. “I’ll go back and watch the rest of it later. Right now I want to look at the container de Santos gives Ramirez.”

Scott alternated between watching the screen and watching Tessa.

Her face was such a mix of curiosity and earnestness, as she puckered her lips and tapped on them in the most distracting way.

He found himself wanting to kiss her, but global security was at stake - he needed to be professional.

She was making notes as she went along. Phrases like, “Non-pressurized” and, “No heating or cooling device” lined the page in somewhat scattered order.

After she was satisfied with the normal angles of footage, she began rotating the picture.

Apparently, the image was still not quite revealing what she wanted. Opening up another channel with Ottawa, she asked one question. “Is there footage of the bottom of the box?”

After a few moments, an answer was returned. “No.”

He could see her disappointment as she hesitated for a few minutes before picking up her phone.

She scrolled until she found the number for someone named Kaetlyn.

Looking at her husband she instructed, “Whatever I say go with it. I promise not to endanger national security.”

This was not the most reassuring disclaimer he had ever heard, but so far, her instincts had been excellent. He’d just have to hope they didn’t fail now.

A young woman picked up on the other end. “What up homie?”

Tessa smiled, “Hi Kaetlyn, this is Dr. Virtue-Moir.”

Kaetlyn's tone immediately changed, “Dr. Virtue-Moir, I’m so sorry. I didn’t look at my phone. I’m on a headset. What can I do for you, boss?”

Scott silently mouthed, “Boss?”

Tessa ignored him, “Mr. Moir and I are having a friendly debate and I think you may be able to resolve it."

Kaetlyn laughed, “You’re going to make me choose between the two of you? I’m not sure that’s fair.”

Tessa returned her laugh, tapping Scott on the shoulder so that he would do the same. “I know it’s hard, just remember who writes your checks. A few days ago, Scott and I saw this nifty new box. I think it’s a new biometric lock box, but Scott thinks it’s some sort of miniature cooling device. I told him if anyone knew about new technology, it would be you.”

Kaetlyn’s voice turned serious and they could hear papers rustling. “How big was it?”

“It looks like a perfect cube. I’d say 4x4x4 or 5x5x5.”

More papers rustled and some keys tapped. “Hmm, it looks like the only tech of that kind is coming from a company called Furnace Systems. They’re an up and coming security corporation.”

There was a pause on the other end before she continued, “They specialize in biometrics. I’m sorry to say this Mr. Moir, but it looks like the good Doctor is correct. If I were you, I’d just start agreeing with her to begin with. She’s almost always right. It will save you trouble in the long run.”

Tessa playfully shoved Scott. “See, I told you!”

Scott offered a dramatic sigh. “Kaetlyn you are no help at all. Are you sure she’s right? I promise to slip you a little something extra if you change your story.”

A sound that was somewhere between a snort and a laugh echoed on the other end. “All things considered, that’s not a very enticing offer. However, I’m more than ninety-four percent sure that she’s right. You said it’s new, and with those dimensions, it’s the only product that hasn’t really hit market – at least not at a full scale.”

“Thank you Kaetlyn. Have you been doing your homework?”

Scott stared at his wife as if she had grown two heads, “Yes ma’am. I’m keeping up my end of the deal, and we’ve gotten through the first level of tests with the dogs.”

There was a genuine look of pride in Tessa’s eyes when she answered, “Excellent. Have fun, and Kaetlyn let’s keep this between us for now. I’d hate for the poor employee to get in trouble for allowing a prototype be seen.”

“Yeah…it sounds like something I would have done. See you when you get back!”

As the line disconnected, Scott sat back and looked at her with clear skepticism. “Have you done your homework? How old was the kid we were just discussing national security issues with?”

Tessa went back to the laptop to make additional notes while she talked. “She’s twenty-three. Kaetlyn dropped out of high-school when she was fifteen. A friend of mine mentioned her to me, and I was curious. I had her flown to Montreal and we talked. She has a genius level IQ and was bored to tears with doing school that she could have completed five years ago.”

Tessa shrugged, “So I made a deal with her. If she would finish her high-school coursework online to prove she was serious about committing, I would give her a job at VD and pay for her to go to College. She’s finishing her dissertation for her first PhD in Medical Biophysics.”

Scott’s face had shifted from skeptical to impressed, but he still had one last question. “What was that last bit about the dogs?”

Tessa was practically beaming in pride, “She’s currently leading a team of scientists who are developing next generation prosthetic technology that will automatically transmit information from a person’s brain to their false limb. It will help them avoid falling, pain from immobility, tripping on uneven concrete…the applications are remarkable.”

“And they’re testing it on dogs?”

“Clinical trials started in rats who were missing limbs, we’ve graduated to dogs. If everything goes well, we’ll run them on apes – after that we’ll be ready for human trials.”

“That would be incredible. Coming from the world of combat veterans, I know how valuable this sort of resource would be…I’d like to meet her. You know, the next time we make it to Toronto.”

“I think you’d like her, she has really blossomed under the responsibility, trust, and leadership.”

Scott reviewed the specifications Kaetlyn had sent them regarding the box, “So if it’s a biometric lock box, maybe that’s why Ramirez hasn’t left? If it’s coded to someone else’s DNA he needs them to open it.”

Tessa’s face was intent, “When I’m trying to problem solve I talk to myself, is that going to bother you? I start down a lot of rabbit trails, and most of them are wrong. I don’t want you to get excited thinking I have found something important or the answer to the case…”

Scott held up his hands. “Have at it. I’m going to search the bedroom one more time.”

At that moment, his phone rang. “This is Scott.”

Patrick’s voice betrayed frustration as he reported, “The team that was watching Ramirez lost visual – they didn’t think anything of it because they still had him on the monitor. But when they recovered visual the box was gone. Repeat the box is in the wind. That boat is now our best option to figure out what is going on.”

Looking at Tessa he shook his head. “They lost the box.”

Staring at the notes in front of her, she began writing and talking at the same time. “We can’t  know for sure that what is going on has anything to do with the nerve agent, but it does seem to be at least tenuously related, and in the absence of data to the contrary…let’s follow that path for a little while and see where it leads. The serum was all recovered, so we know that’s not what is in the box.”

Scott opened a blank page on his laptop to keep track of any solid conclusions she reached.

“We can also infer that it is probably not radioactive waste since we did not find any recent residue, and that container is not pressurized or sealed enough to transport those types of materials without leaking.”

Scott felt a measure of relief, as he added “Not radioactive” to the list.

“We know that de Santos and Ramirez are working for someone – presumably a rich benefactor. Ramirez would seem to have a closer relationship with whoever that is since he came to pick the item up from de Santos. Angel supplies items to the highest bidder…but he didn’t receive any payment for the goods that were exchanged...”

Scott’s eyes flew to meet her gaze, “T you’re a genius. Angel didn’t receive any payment.”  

Tessa’s gaze was somewhat confused as she tentatively offered, “Which means he is either waiting to receive payment until Ramirez can confirm that whatever is in that box is genuine...”

“Not likely because de Santos is a pro. He would have gotten something upfront – even if it was only partial payment.”

Tessa nodded in acknowledgement, “Which means that he wasn’t supplying something…he was returning it.”

They considered this for a few moments before Scott exhaled. “I think that must be it – if de Santos was contracted to buy the serum from Natalia Demas then he would have had payment from his buyer – that must be what he was returning.”

“So, what could be valuable in small quantities that are easily transported, don’t need cooling, heating, pressurization…in short they don’t need anything other than protection from theft?”

Scott tone was matter of fact, “Diamonds. They’re small, easy to transport, easy to convert to cash in almost any city in the world, and lots of dealers are willing to turn a blind eye…even if the seller’s paperwork isn’t quite in order.”

Tessa's face was crestfallen as she answered, “Of course…I’m such an idiot. How did you figure that out?”

Scott’s gaze was incredulous as he started a video conference with Ottawa. “The last thing you are is stupid. I couldn’t do half of what you’ve accomplished during this mission. If you spent years hanging out with war lords and taking down bad guys you would have known, just like me, that diamonds are the universal currency of the rich and powerful.”

General Lawson’s face appeared on the screen while his assistant’s face could be seen in the background. “I thought you said it wasn’t safe to video conference.”

“We’re still negative for bugs, but regardless this couldn’t wait – especially in light of what happened with the box.”

The General’s face clouded in frustration and anger. “Yes, I’m going to be having a very long conversation with those two imbecile’s. The first rule of surveillance is not to lose sight of your target, but you said you had something important to report?”

Scott nodded, “Tessa and I have been aboard all night analyzing data and substances on this yacht, and while we can safely report that any number of crimes have been committed on board – likely including murder, drug running, and even smuggling radioactive waste – none of that was helping us pinpoint what was in the box. All of those crimes were too old. Anyway…after a long analysis and logical trail that I won’t try to explain to you, we think the box is a biometrically protected storage unit, and we think it contains diamonds.”

General Lawson held up his hand. “One minute, I want our international diamonds expert to hear this too.”

A few moments later, another face appeared on their screen. “Scott I think you’ve met Agent Grainger. She specializes in diamond theft and recovery.”

Scott inclined his head in acknowledgement before turning to Tessa, “How about you explain where we are on this theory.”

Tessa cleared her throat; she could probably leave the part about calling a twenty-three year old graduate student out of their account.

She began with her deduction about de Santos being the buyer for the serum, a fact CSIS already believed to be true, and proceeded from there.

When she finished, Grainger’s gaze was somewhat skeptical. “You really figured all that out without one solid piece of evidence?”

Scott was about to intervene, but Tessa gently touched his arm.

She was used to the skeptics. “I understand we don’t have the box or diamonds here to prove our hypothesis. I’m making these conclusions based on something called game theory. We don’t have hard evidence, and at this point unless we can somehow recover the box – which is unlikely – we won’t ever have hard evidence. I’m operating on statistical probability, and until someone else comes up with a better theory, this is the best we have.”

This was said calmly and without a trace of anger, but Scott could hear the steel in her voice.

While Grainger didn’t look convinced, her gaze was not as antagonistic.

General Lawson pushed forward, “Agent Grainger I want you to inquire discretely about the possible movement of diamonds. We may not get anything from this because if they are simply returning to their original owner they may not be cashed out for some time…perhaps not ever. Still, it is worth pursuing. I also need a list of people who typically deal in diamonds – any recent bulk withdraws. You know the drill, and send the data to Dr. Virtue-Moir as well.”

Agent Grainger nodded, “Yes sir. I’ll pull that together right away.”

Her picture disappeared while Scott and Tessa waited for further instruction. “Good work you two. You’ve spent more time with de Santos than anyone, what do you think his next move will be?”

Scott picked up the conversation because Tessa had gone to her bags in search of something. “Well he has to get the boat back from us. Maybe we could tell him we like it, but want a new one…see if he could set it up, something to keep communication channels open?”

Tessa returned. “General, the techs sent me de Santos’ file a couple of days ago. I have been working on something and I think it might be worth checking. I plotted de Santos’ known locations and actions for the past five years in broad-brush strokes.”

General Lawson and Scott’s faces betrayed surprise, but she continued. “He travels extensively, but most of it is limited to Europe. He has also been to Asia twice, South America ten times, and North America five times. He has never been to South Africa, so I think he is where the trail of purchasing the serum ends as far as that country goes. However, every time he finishes a suspected job he travels around in an odd zigzag pattern, and then goes off grid. I couldn’t figure out why, but after analyzing so much of his life, even accounting for what we don’t know…I think I know where he goes.”

General Lawson visibly started, “You think you may have been able to find his base? Where he is stashing his money? How did you manage that if his travel patterns are random each time?”

Tessa took a deep breath.

Scott was coming to recognize that as a gesture that preceded her attempt to explain something complicated to an audience clearly not prepared to receive her lecture. “Just bear with me for a minute until I get to the end, and then if you have questions…I’ll try to answer them.”

Receiving a nod of affirmation, Tessa began, “Let’s say you stole a million dollars and buried it in the woods. You know exactly where it is located. It’s a fixed spot in your mind, but you have the police, the owner, and bounty hunters chasing you. You have two goals, one, don’t get caught, and two, don’t let them know where you hid the money.”

General Lawson appeared to be tracking her logic and even smiled a little at her word-picture, “In the case of de Santos, we don’t have to worry about the first factor as much because he is a professional middle-man. He’s only worried about getting caught in the act of procuring a product – at almost any other point he can conceal his involvement or have plausible deniability because he is working for a third party. So the second issue is what we are contending with – he doesn’t want us to find his money – or whatever it is he is trying to hide.”

Scott was beginning to understand where she was going with this, but it still seemed a little incredulous to imagine, “To the casual observer it looks like his movements are random, but human brains struggle with the true concept of randomness – we almost always plan too much to achieve true randomness…anyway I’m digressing. Umm…yes, patterns out of erratic direction. When you look at his paths over five years we can tell the area he has traveled and the areas he has avoided.”

General Lawson’s eyes lit, “The area he wanted us to avoid. His trips appeared to be without pattern, but when put together you’re saying they reveal what, like a circumference around an area?”

Tessa’s look was almost comically relived at being understood, “Yes, exactly like that. I’ll send you the image, but the area concentrates around two potential locations in France. Now certain parts can be discarded because of ingress and egress problems. I’m sure the psychologists may have some additional data to add based on his profile, but right now the rural areas surrounding Bayonne and Perpignan have the highest statistical probability – even between those two Perpignan is by far the more likely. It is close to Spain, on the ocean with easy escape routes by sea, and he could reach Italy in hours.”

The General was already on the phone with their regional offices in France, and yelling at his assistant to get that country’s ambassador on the phone, along with surveillance footage from Perpignan.

He took a moment to look at the two of them and bark. “Follow de Santos if possible, but don’t leave your location until you receive further instruction. Use your discretion and be safe.”

With those parting instructions, he was gone.

Tessa turned to Scott, “Is it always like that when they think they have a breakthrough?”

He started packing up, and wiping down certain areas. “What? The mad rush to stop the bad guys? Sometimes, it depends on what’s at stake, and in this case if they can follow the money through de Santos back to his buyers they could crack dozens of cases wide open – it is a veritable gold mine. Not to mention that fact that if we can get leverage on that man he might tell us who was planning to purchase the serum.”

Taking several pictures of the map she had been working on she sent them to the technicians at headquarters.

Checking her inbox, she could see that Grainger had already sent several files on recent diamond purchases, liquidations, and people with known or suspected private diamond reserves.

Her heart sank just a little bit at the size of the files.

Scott could see that Tessa was once more verging on exhaustion.

After all, they hadn’t slept all night and it was now seven in the morning. “Hey, why don’t we head back to the hotel? De Santos isn’t supposed to call until noon. You need some sleep.”

She smiled a little groggily. “Grainger sent me those files, I should look over them.”

He gently pulled her phone from her hands. “No, you won’t be any good to anyone if you end up half dead again.”

Her voice was a little petulant as she retorted, “You’re not being very nice...I'm also dealing with the effects of that concussion...oh for heaven's sake I sound like a grouchy five year old. I can't even effectively argue my own case.”

Her gaze was so crestfallen he moved to give her a hug. “You're too hard on yourself. Your mind works about a million times faster than anyone else I know. I can’t imagine how your brain feels after processing all of this. Even if your body could keep up with a higher pace, I’m not sure how you would mentally sustain that type of energy.”

She let herself relax against his shoulder. His words were soothing, even if she didn’t want to admit they might be the truth.

Kissing her forehead he packed their tech equipment back into their bags, including the samples they had gathered. The lab would analyze them further to see if they contained pertinent data.

Walking back up the beach, he was relieved to see Tessa looking more relaxed.

By the time they got back to the hotel maybe her brain would be as tired as her body and she’d be able to sleep for several hours.

Patrick was monitoring de Santos and the other team was watching Ramirez with increased vigilance after their recent mistake.

Tessa opened the door to their hotel room and hadn’t walked three steps inside when she turned to him in an exaggerated tone, “Darling I declare that was so much fun, but exhausting. I think I might have picked up a little bug or something. My throat is sore, my ears are ringing…I feel quite dizzy.”

He put everything down to catch her as she pretended to melt into the floor.

Someone had bugged their room.


	9. The Confession

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A wrap-up of Amalfi and smut...because it is a honeymoon ;)  
> Just as an FYI if you read this when it was first published I do know that Montréal has a seaport. I just forgot to change the name, and now I’ve taken it out :)

Scott considered their options.

They couldn’t call for help without alerting whoever was listening. They had to be smart about this.

Glancing at Tessa’s watch, he could see that it was only registering blue for audio.

There weren’t any video recording devices in place, which was encouraging.

“Babe, how about I help you into bed. Then I’ll call the concierge and have them bring up some hot towels. You’ll need Tylenol or something like it. Maybe a massage would help. I’m sure they have a Doctor on call…”

He picked her up and sat her down on the bed before moving to close the curtains and pick up several items around the room.

In reality, he was trying to find where the bug was located.

He finally found two – now to figure out what to do with them.

Tessa could see he had finished his sweep, so she motioned him to the bed. “Darling come hold me for a minute.”

Scott obliged, although he thought he might crawl out of his skin with tension as he decided if they should leave the bugs in place or try to think of an excuse to remove them.

Tessa’s voice took on a decidedly sensual tone as she murmured, “I think it might be a bit precipitous to call the Doctor. I’m probably just tired from last night.”

Scott made himself return her suggestive tone as he answered, “I’m sure I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

She continued, “But a massage might be nice – I’m sure they have someone on staff that can come to the room. The hot towels sound marvelous…oh, and I almost forgot. I packed my natural oil diffuser. It’s in my bag. Do you mind plugging it in? The black case has all the different types of oil labeled. Just put a little lavender in the top and I’m sure I’ll be relaxed in no time.”

This was by far the strangest request she had made, but he still moved to find the diffuser.

First, he called the “front desk” in reality the call was diverted to Patrick.

He requested the towels and massage therapist as soon as possible.

Patrick informed them that the therapist was with a client right now, but would be available in fifteen minutes, “I do hope Dr. Virtue-Moir is not in any serious pain?”

Scott wanted to laugh at Patrick’s solicitous tone, but this was no laughing matter, “Thank you for asking. Tessa feels that it may be over-tiredness, but her ears are ringing which is of concern.”

“And she does not wish to call in a medical professional to address the issue?”  
It was tempting to say yes – to just destroy the listening devices, but not yet, “Not at this moment. We’ll see how things go.”

Hanging up the phone, he moved to plug in the diffuser.

Tessa interrupted him. “Babe, why don’t you bring it over here by the bed and I’ll put the lavender in.” He wondered if there was another purpose in this charade, or if she was simply giving their listeners something to hear.

She was setting up the odd-looking pot very deliberately, “I modified this one you know. Most machines just diffuse oil which can target your sensory system and help you relax by triggering certain chemical reactions, but I took this one a step farther. It emits a low frequency – too quiet for our ears to consciously register it, but good to stabilize our mental state by putting the brain on a steady stream of constancy. You see stress has to do with…”

At this point, she plugged in the machine and kept talking for a few more minutes about misfiring synapses, muscle tension, fight or flight responses, and learned behaviors.

In the middle of this, the concierge arrived with their hot towels.

Pulling out her tablet, she took inventory of the room.

Both listening devices were being jammed. “We may only have a few minutes depending on how good these guys are. We should talk to de Santos and see what his plans are. We can feel out the situation and see if it would be better to buy this boat or ask about purchasing another. Do you think we should remove the bugs? I mean you do run a security company, maybe they would expect us to check for bugs?”

His look was skeptical, “Maybe, but the best thing to do would be to try and trace them back to their source. If that’s not feasible, then this afternoon I’ll happen to find them…are you really jamming their signals with an oil diffuser?”

She was clearly distracted, “Yes, I designed it myself before we left. I thought it might come in handy if we were in a bind and needed to talk for a little while. I don’t think there is anything like it on the market so they won’t know we’re blocking their signal on purpose.” 

Through this entire conversation, she kept an eye on the charts in front of her.

He nodded in acknowledgment. “That is by far the most inventive piece of equipment I have seen anyone come up with. We can’t leave it plugged in forever, maybe we could do some mountain exploring – you know get in touch with our inner nature lover. They can’t bug the entire town. But you’re right, de Santos is the first piece. We also need to let Ottawa know we may be compromised.”

Tessa moved to get a closer look at the bugs while Scott quickly reported the situation to headquarters. General Lawson was concerned. They sent pictures and specifications on the bugs they had found.

Ottawa would try to trace them.

Patrick would be reassigned to stay with them at the hotel.

Other changes were detailed, and after an hour, Tessa returned to sit on the bed.

Patrick had shown up in a white outfit like the massage therapists at the hotel wore.

Glancing at her tablet, she could see the levels were still holding strong, “We should unplug the diffusor so that the signal won’t be blocked and Ottawa can try to get a trace on them.”

Patrick moved to leave, but Tessa stopped him. “No, you’re the massage therapist. We need you here to lend credibility. Scott, you unplug it and be in the middle of saying something about not being sure how anything that smells like that can be good for someone. Patrick, do you mind rubbing my neck for a minute? You don’t have to say much, after a few minutes you can leave…if you want to give any last minute recommendations as you go…”

Everyone moved into position, and Scott pulled the plug.

While he was chatting nonsense about healing oils with Patrick and Tessa, there was only one thought on his mind.

Everything had been going just fine until Agent Grainger had arrived on the scene…maybe Tessa should open those files after all.

* * *

Later that afternoon, Scott returned the keys to the yacht, “I cannot thank you enough my friend. We had a marvelous time.”  

Angel’s face was almost conspiratorial, “Ah, I am happy to hear it. There is nothing like being rocked to sleep by the sea. So do you plan to purchase?”

Affecting his most carefree tone Scott nodded, “Yes – well that is Tess and I talked about it. We’re going to buy the newest model once we figure out where to dock it. She’s got several calls in to harbor masters.”

Instead of suspicion, Angel’s expression appeared to relax marginally at this declaration. “That is an excellent plan. You definitely want to secure a safe storage area before you make such a purchase.”

“Where can I send your fee?”

De Santos dismissed his question, “Nonsense – you’re not purchasing the craft. There is no fee.”

“We couldn’t do that – at the last let us pay for fuel?”

Angel clasped him on the shoulder, “No indeed my friend. I happen to know the owner of this vessel. He will not miss the money. I do hope you and your lovely wife enjoy the rest of your time here in Italy. It was lovely to meet you.”

Scott shook the man’s hand and tried to resist the urge to wipe his palms in a symbolic effort to cleanse them from the other man’s crimes, “Indeed – if you’re ever in Canada you must stop in at Virtue Designs and say hello.”

* * *

It was late afternoon when they retreated to the ocean.

There was no way to bug the entire sea so they felt relatively safe.

Tessa had her arms around Scott’s neck while they both alternated between floating and languidly treading water, “How did your meeting with de Santos go?”

Scott stole a kiss before answering, “I thought he looked almost relieved. I guess whoever owned the ship didn’t really want to sell, but was willing to do so if that’s what it took to move his diamonds without arousing suspicions.”  

Tessa leaned in to whisper in his ear, “What does CSIS want us to do now that de Santos is leaving?”

Part of Scott knew he needed to focus, but swimming in the ocean with the woman he loved at sunset was a little distracting, “We’re free to leave whenever we want. Patrick will trail de Santos at a distance, and another surveillance team is coming in to track Ramirez. Ottawa is still looking for the lead on Positano or the boat – they’ll probably trail the craft as well, but if this guy is as well protected and shrouded in secrecy as it seems, we may not find him.”

Stroking over her cheek he finished, “They aren’t willing to compromise our cover any further, especially since they weren’t able to trace the origin of the listening devices. Of course, they’ll probably still send us data to analyze, and you may be able to draw some conclusions from the files that Grainger sent, but other than that we’re headed home. Are you ready for that Mrs. Virtue-Moir?”

She leaned in to kiss him, “I’m sure we’ll figure it out – maybe a little more quickly if we’re not trying to stop people from destroying the world all the time.”

The chaste kiss quickly turned into more as their tongues battled for dominance.

Perhaps it was the oxygen deprivation, perhaps it was the increased serotonin levels…maybe the romantic setting…Scott couldn’t pinpoint why, but as he pulled away for breath he whispered, “I love you.”

The change in Tessa was almost immediate as she froze in his arms, “What did you say?”

This was not the way he planned to tell her for the first time. It was going to be over a romantic meal in a controlled environment where they could talk without interruption.

Meeting her eyes he could see a mixture of uncertainty, hope, and panic battling for dominance.

Now that he had started, he needed to finish, “I love you – am in love with you. I know this may feel sudden, but I’ve known for a while. I was planning to wait until we got home to tell you…but…”

Tessa could actually feel the panic and elation both attempting to claw their way out of her chest.

She wanted to kiss him and run away by turns.

She became vaguely aware that Scott had continued speaking, “You don’t have to say it back T. I’m not expecting you to feel the same way, but I want you to know the truth.”

Forcing herself to regulate her breathing she hesitated, “Thank you for being honest…I’m not completely sure how I feel. I know I care about you tremendously. I respect you. I am clearly attracted to you…I think I haven’t really let myself fully consider how I feel…in case you never wanted to be more than…whatever we are right now.”

Scott smoothed the crease between her eyes, “That is completely fine. I want you to be confident before or if you tell me, and I never want to pressure you. You control the pace.”

Tessa couldn’t decide if that was reassuring or if it was simply added pressure for her to reach a decision as soon as possible.

Finally, she nodded her head, “Give me some time to think. I promise to consider our relationship honestly – without hedging in fear that you won’t want me.”

Scott kissed her forehead, “Take all the time you need.”

Pressing one more kiss to her lips, and in an attempt to lighten the mood, he tugged her toward shore, “Come on, we’re in one of the most beautiful places in the world. Let me take my wife out to dinner and maybe dancing.”

A part of her wanted to protest this request. She wanted to sit in a corner with a notepad making pro and con lists for why she might or might not be in love with Scott, but she recognized his attempt for what it was and felt herself agreeing.

This was not an experiment to be evaluated, it was a relationship to commit to – or not.

She was relatively sure of what her answer would be, but she had never liked uncertainty.

Exiting the ocean, Scott pulled her in for a gentle kiss, “Don’t analyze. Just feel without pressure – there’s no agenda or timeline. Just us remember?”

Resting her head against his chest, she nodded in acknowledgement, “Just us.”

* * *

Tessa had never completely understood what it meant to “see red”, but she now fully identified with the sensation.

Scott had taken her to a hot spot directly on the beach. There was a restaurant on the top floor while the ground level was practically a club if the lights, music, and bar were anything to go by.

She had slipped away to the ladies room only to return and find a buxom blonde with fake eyelashes and a dress that looked like it was ready to split at the seams leaning over the table giving Scott a view that some men would have paid good money for.

Drawing closer, she could hear the strain in Scott’s voice, “I’m sorry. I’m sure you’re incredibly nice and other men might be interested, but I happen to love my wife. She’ll be back shortly and I’m not looking for anything…anyone else.”

Tessa wrapped herself around Scott’s bicep with a possessiveness that would rival a koala…if the koala had flashing green eyes and looked like she was ready to fight over a prized possession, “Who have we here honey?”

Scott looked both relieved and concerned at her presence. Still, he dropped a kiss on her forehead, “Tess, this is…ummm…Laney I think you said? Laney this is my wife, Tessa.”

Tessa knew her smile was verging on saccharine a she purred, “It’s so nice to meet you Laney. Now if you’ll excuse us, Scott promised me a dance.”

Not even bothering to see how the other woman responded, Tessa pulled Scott towards the dance floor.

She knew she was practically grinding on him, but jealousy was not an emotion that was familiar to her. She almost always got what she wanted, and in this moment…she wanted Scott.

Capturing his lips in this kaleidoscope of color that was the dancefloor, she didn’t want there to be any doubt about who he belonged to.

He looked good enough to devour. Yet as his hands wandered further south and squeezed her ass, she conceded that she might want him to consume her – to strip her down and pull her apart until he could see everything – take everything.

Scott could feel himself growing hard as Tessa practically ground against him.

She had obviously been jealous over that other woman’s advances, but he had never expected such a visceral reaction from her.

He needed to get them back to their hotel room before they were arrested for public indecency, “T, do you remember the first time we slept together?”

Tessa’s eyes were green sin, “How could I forget?”

“Do you remember the next morning? When you asked if you had kept me awake?”

Tessa was relatively sure she knew where this was headed and she felt herself grow wet in anticipation, “Yes…you said you thought about tying me to the headboard.”

Scott lightly traced over her pulse point, applying the lightest of pressure, “Yeah…you seemed to like that idea…what about it T? Do you want me to tie you up and make you come until you can’t walk straight tomorrow?”

Tessa felt her eyes slide shut and couldn’t quite suppress the soft moan that escaped her lips at this question, “Yes…I want that.”

Pulling her towards the exit, he hailed a cab. The drive felt interminable even as he could feel her shudder underneath his touch as he traced patterns on the inside of her legs, verging toward the apex of her thighs.

Scott was setting her on fire. If he was attempting to maintain the sexual tension while they were driving back to the hotel it was working.

His hands alternated pressure as they traced patterns over her legs.

With each pass, his hands crept closer to the place she wanted him most.

She gave brief thought to moving her hips forward just enough to gain the friction she so desperately wanted.

Still, they were in a public taxi – it would be inappropriate, but she was having to actively fight the urge to cant her hips upward to meet his hand.

At last, they stumbled back into their room.

When they were finally alone, Scott pushed her against the wall.

She wrapped her leg around his waist pulling him closer. From this angle, she could feel him growing hard once again as he whispered, “Are you sure?”

Instead of answering, she took his hand and guided it under her dress, pushing her underwear to the side.

Scott’s eyes instantly darkened as he felt how wet she was. He lightly brushed over her clit before licking his fingers clean, “Then go sit on the bed.”

Moving to her suitcase, he spared a thought of thankfulness that she had bought a few long scarfs in the midst of her shopping expeditions.

Tessa had slipped out of her heels, and was sitting on the bed, lightly stroking over her core.

She looked like a lustful goddess, and she was his...at least for now…for forever if he had anything to say about it.

Tessa could feel herself practically drip in anticipation as Scott’s arms caged her in.

When other boyfriends had tried this in the past it had always felt restrictive, but with Scott she actually wanted to abandon agency and let go. She trusted him to catch her.

She was vaguely aware that he had discarded her dress somewhere on the floor while she pulled his shirt off and fumbled with his belt buckle.

When she was completely bare, she offered her hands.

Scott’s eyes never left hers as he instructed, “Lay down on the bed.”

Her body wanted to fuck…she was tempted to tell him to forget the whole thing and just sink down on his cock, but this would – eventually – be better.

Scott checked the tension of the knots as he studied his wife, “If it’s too tight or you want to stop – tell me.”

She nodded in agreement.

Bringing her legs to rest over his shoulders, he immediately plunged his tongue into her wet heat. When he finally began circling her clit as he used his fingers to stimulate her G spot she could feel her orgasm verging, “Scott I need to come.”

“Then come T – we’ll try orgasm denial another night. I just want this to be fun.”

She practically gushed into his mouth with this permission.

Two orgasms later Tessa realized what he was doing, he was attempting to give her an orgasm from each of her erogenous zones.

She had come three times.

She only felt like having one more, and she wanted him for the last one.

Lifting off the bed slightly she captured his lips, “I want you inside me for the last one.”

Scott nodded. He was rock hard by this point, “How do you want it T?”

Meeting his eyes in uncertainty she asked, “Can I tie you up and ride you?”

Scott head white noise at that inquiry as he focused on not coming from the pure… _sex_ of her question.

“Yes.”

Untying her hands, he kissed the inside of her wrists before offering her his own.

Tessa retrieved a second scarf before kneeling on the bed, “You’re sure? It won’t stress you out to be tied up?”

His bout with PTSD was the last thing on his mind right now, “I’ll let you know if I feel stressed. Come on…it’ll be fun.”

She had him sit against the headboard as she secured his wrists. Tessa licked up his shaft as he released a moan so loud he’s pretty sure the people on the floor below them heard.

When Tessa actually sucked him into her mouth, he managed to grit out, “T, as amazing as that feels, I’m going to last about three seconds if you keep doing that.”

Tessa’s smile was wicked as she released him with a pop, “Well, we wouldn’t want that.”

Lining them up she sank down slowly moving at a pace to accommodate how sensitive she already was from three orgasms.

Taking a moment to adjust, she knew Scott was exercising tremendous restraint by remaining still. He needed to find release.

Slowly, she began to move above him as their tongues languidly stroked against one another.

She was deliberately keeping her movements very slow and she could see the veins in Scott’s neck straining.

“Can I touch you?”

She tugged on his curls, earning a sound somewhere between a growl and a moan, “No – not yet.”

Several minutes later, sensing his body’s threshold and the rapidly approaching end to his patience, she moved to release his hands so that they could find release together – only to find the knots had come untied.

With a mental promise to revisit that fact she scraped down his abs, “You can touch me.”

Within moments, he found her clit and both of them had found release.

Laying across from him as they both caught their breath, she captured one of his hands, “When did you get out of the restraints?”

Scott’s look was a little guilty, “They came loose almost right away.”

“Then why didn’t you just reach for me? You didn’t need me to set you free. You could have taken whatever you wanted.”

Scott’s hazel eyes met hers in surprise and a measure of hurt, “T – I’d never “take” what I want. I would never do anything to you if you didn’t want it…and the reason I didn’t reach for you is because I trust you. I trust you to give and receive pleasure. That’s why this can be fun. You abandon agency because you trust your partner.”

Tessa searched his gaze as he finished, “I believed that I could give you pleasure and then I trusted that I could receive pleasure from you – even though you weren’t giving me exactly what I wanted at the moment. It is an outward demonstration of a deep-seated trust.”

Capturing his lips with her own she could actually feel tears threatening to spill over as she whispered, “I love you.”

Scott pulled away, his face a mixture of suppressed hope and uncertainty, “T, you don’t have to say it back. If you need time…”

Threading her fingers through his hair she shook her head, “I’m sure – I trust you more than anyone I’ve ever met. I want you all the time. I want to spend forever with you – not just five years. I want to have kids that have your eyes and my smile…I want forever.”

Spinning her around the room, Scott couldn’t help the laughter that bubbled out of his chest.

He had been prepared to wait – for years if necessary. Yet here they were.

Cleaning up in the shower and snuggling into one another that night it was the first time, in years, that Scott’s last thought was not the next mission or the danger that might be lurking around the corner.

No, tonight, his last thought was of Tessa and the knowledge that they both wanted forever…


	10. The Mole

_Two weeks later_

Scott watched his wife sleeping. This was something he got to do now – this was his life.

Her face, which was so often lost in serious thought, was completely relaxed.

In thirty minutes, her alarm would go off, she would groggily reach over to silence it, and then blink several times at the ceiling or her phone screen, depending on the day, before turning to look at him.

They hadn’t spent much time apart since returning from Italy.

He had appropriated an office on the same floor as Tessa’s at Virtue Designs.

At first, they planned to work out of the same space, but that idea was quickly reconsidered.

One, she was used to working alone.

Secondly (and more problematically), they were far too distracted by each other.

People around the building nodded knowingly when they passed by, but everyone approved.

Tessa had been alone too long – people were happy she was happy, and soon, they came to love Scott for his own merits.

As these thoughts ran together, his phone buzzed.

General Lawson was requesting a conference call in fifteen minutes.

Scott kissed Tessa on the cheek. “Hey baby, we have to call Ottawa. Do you want to throw on some different clothes?”

She mumbled something under her breath, and burrowed closer to him, but didn’t respond any further so he tried again, “General Lawson is expecting us to call him in fifteen minutes. Do you want to change clothes?”

Her green eyes met his in confusion before clearing in alarm. “The General is calling us in fifteen minutes?”

She jumped out of bed and began changing as quickly as possible while almost simultaneously attempting to brush her hair and teeth.

Scott wanted to laugh at the picture she painted, but that would probably get him in trouble, so he simply changed into normal clothes and pulled out his laptop to set up the video conference, “Babe, relax. This isn’t an interrogation.”

Tessa rolled her eyes at him, finally pausing with a semblance of satisfaction as she surveyed the room around her and took one last glance in the mirror, “Well we’re half way presentable.”

Glancing at him she sighed, “Men are so lucky. They don’t have to do much of anything and they’re considered ready to go for the day.”

He put his arms around her, “But you’re so much prettier – regardless of how much or little effort you put into your look for the day.”

She turned to face him. “That’s a good answer Mr. Moir.”

“Thank you Mrs. Virtue-Moir. You know sometimes I look at you and just wonder how you are mine… all mine.”

She leaned in to kiss him as the laptop buzzed to life. “Good morning to you both as well.”

The two of them broke apart in partial embarrassment, but Scott’s eyes were filled with humor. “Good morning General.”

That man’s face was a mixture of bemusement and curiosity.

Tessa resisted the urge to explain their behavior. After all, he was being conferenced into their bedroom. “I wanted to give you an update regarding the de Santos matter, as well as the data you analyzed regarding the diamond purchases and sales. Your review of de Santos’ behavior was perfect. We beat him to Perpignan, and we were able to determine what he has hidden there all these years.”

Tessa settled beside Scott as they continued listening to the General, “He was actually hiding two things – his elderly mother and about twenty-five million dollars. We are in the process of tracing the funds. They have already led as to three drug operations, two terrorist cells, one hostile government, and no less than five corporations that are believed to be involved in illegal activity. This has been a phenomenally productive operation.”

That General clicked through several computer screens before once more looking at them, “Tessa, I will freely admit that I don’t quite understand the information you sent us regarding the diamond markets. I had our in house analyst’s review the report and they struggled as well. We finally sent it to a mathematician.”

Andrew squinted at the screen, “Apparently he is a Professor of Mathematics at Toronto, a Dr. Patrice Lauzon. The way I understand it, and feel free to correct me on any point that I get wrong, you’re saying our data is incomplete? Even though you couldn’t deduce what happened with the diamonds we saw in Italy, understandably.”

The General added this disclaimer since it was clear that Scott was getting ready to protest that Tessa had done more than enough.

“Anyway, according to your analysis, someone has manipulated the data to conceal purchases or movements of diamonds over the past several years? You’re saying this has been going on for some time?”

Tessa nodded, “Yes… in broad terms at least. Every commodity that is used by so many people across hundreds of countries display patterns. Even when we notice what appears to be an unpredictable spike when factored in across years and markets the overall trends are still visible.”

Scott could actually see her searching for the words necessary to explain her findings in non-academic terms.

“The only way to explain the reported shift in diamond markets is to understand that they couldn’t have shifted that much without some sort of interference. There have not been any reported shortages or dramatic changes in diamond exchanges, hence the inference that the data is incomplete. Besides, the information that appears to have been removed is far too specific to be random or a matter of chance. Someone is deliberately trying to hide diamond movements from certain sources.”

Andrew sifted through another stack of papers before alighting on the one he sought. “Yes, your analysis revealed three possible targets – or rather three locations of interest. America, Russia, and Japan. You believe there are crime syndicates from these areas that have benefited directly from this data tampering?”

“Yes sir, as I stated in my report, I believe the east coast mafia run by John Rawlings, the Asian Triad run by Tao Lin, and the Russian mob run by Vladimir Petrov are the men you need to be looking for.”

The General nodded distractedly. “Let’s not get too specific too soon. We don’t want to eliminate other possibilities because we are too focused on those three men.”

Tessa interrupted him, “Sir, with all due respect, you need to know that these three men come back with the highest probability of benefit from the data manipulation. Each of them are at least five times as likely to be the individuals you are looking for. I know we can’t ignore the other criminals out there…but I would postulate that it is just as important to understand the need to target them.”

General Lawson’s face was contemplative.

Scott wasn’t sure if he wanted to gawk at his wife or hug her for standing by her convictions.

She was challenging a highly decorated general on field policy, but her point was more than valid.

“I will take your advice under careful consideration. Unfortunately, this is proof that we have a serious leak in CSIS. There are not many people who have access to alter the numbers in that database. Of course hundreds can view the information, but there are only a handful that can actually change it.”

Scott’s brow knit in concentration. “You checked to make sure it hadn’t been hacked?”

Lawson nodded, “Our techs have been discretely crawling over every inch of that system to make sure it hasn’t been compromised from an outside source – or an unauthorized source within CSIS and they haven’t found anything.”

“Then it has to be limited to the people who have official access to the data. Who would you pick?”

His mentor hesitated, “I do not want to accuse anyone before…”

Scott and Tessa both gave him a pointed look, “Very well, the person who I would say is most likely to be involved is Agent Grainger. We have had some concerns about her work. Maybe we haven’t been concerned enough.”

“Is she still in Ottawa? Can you keep an eye on her discretely?”

The General wore an almost pained expression, “No, I’m afraid she requested a leave of absence not long after I told her to send you the information on diamond movements.”

Tessa tried to calm the frantic racing of her mind as dozens of different scenarios played through her mind. “Did she say where she was going? Do you know an exact time of departure?”

Andrew clicked through several computer screens. “She planned to go to London – to meet with her brother. It looks like her plane left two days ago.”

Forty-eight hours…that wasn’t ideal. If she was going to talk with her contacts, there was a real possibility that they had already met.

It was entirely possible that she was already in the wind and they’d never hear from her again…but on the flip side, at least one person was coming from Asia and that was quite a trek.

Maybe they’d get lucky.

Scott’s voice was concerned, “Does she in fact have a brother living in London? I thought I recalled her saying she was an only child.”

Lawson again looked through a few screens, his face growing more crestfallen by the moment. “No…we have no record of a brother of any kind, and no family connection to London at all.”

Scott frowned, “After 9/11 London has slowly become a primary epicenter of world finance. Almost every major bank in the world has a branch in that city. It would be the ideal place to cash out large quantities of diamonds without drawing too much notice.”

Andrew nodded, “It’s also a neutral site so the three men would all feel as if they are at an equal disadvantage. I suppose it is more than possible the three of them don’t even realize Grainger has been playing this game with more than one of them.”

Scott nodded, “I agree. I think we need to get surveillance on the ground in London and see if we pick up their trail. If we can find Grainger, she may lead us straight to the other three. Is there anyone in the area?”

The General redirected several European assets to search for the parties of interest before looking back at them. “Stay close. We may need further information from you.”

With that, their screen went black. Tessa glanced up at Scott. “Is he always so abrupt?”

Her husband leaned over her chair, trailing kisses along her neck, “Mmmhmmm…always. But that means we have more time to…stay close.”

Tessa tried to form a coherent train of thought, “We need to go to the office.”

Scott tugged her earlobe between his teeth, “Absolutely…or we could work from home?”

When he pulled her into his lap and traced over her waist, she finally abandoned her arguments and kissed him back, “Well then we better get busy.”

* * *

Much later that afternoon, lounging in nothing more than Scott’s shirt, with a sated feeling of absolute contentment, she sifted through reports from several of their labs.

Her phone buzzed to life as the General called, “Tessa, do you know a Dr. George Young?”

“Of course, he was one of my father’s students. He lectures at Cambridge now – or at least that is what he was doing the last time I checked with him. He was like an older brother when I was younger, but we’re both so busy I didn’t keep up with the friendship.”

“You have a standing invitation to lecture at Cambridge do you not?”

Tessa was beginning to understand where this conversation was going so she messaged Scott, “I do, and George works in their Biology Department.”

Her husband walked into the room with a questioning gaze and she waved him over, “You want us to go to London?”

Lawson sighed, “I know we are sending you trekking across the world, but our operatives were able to locate Grainger. She is scheduled to attend a party that Firestone Financial is hosting. It will be a way for her meet with her contacts without arousing suspicion. Your cover can be that you are going to guest lecture at Cambridge and happened to be in the area…hence your attendance at the party.”

Tessa look was half-skeptical, half-resigned, as she surveyed the paperwork strewn across her desk. “Don’t you think Grainger will be suspicious if we just “happen” to show up in London around the same time she is meeting her contacts?”

The General’s tone was practical, “There is that possibility, but at this point she doesn’t have a lot of other options. She is dealing with professional criminals. She can’t let them know she has compromised their identities. We’ll backstop chatter regarding your lectures at Cambridge so that it doesn’t sound like a completely new arrangement.”

Scott’s face betrayed the fact that he didn’t like this arrangement at all. “CSIS really thinks this is the best option? This could blow our cover, not to mention dozens of other agents’ wide open to criminal organizations across the world. Maybe I should go in, as a stealth mission.”

Andrew’s tone changed to one of command. “This is the course of action that has been decided upon. Naturally, you are both able to refuse a mission if you feel it is too dangerous.”

Scott visibly bristled at this suggestion. “You of all people know that’s not what I mean. Tessa still hasn’t received any field training. She’s not prepared for the direct risks this will expose her to.”

Tessa interjected, “Is this truly the only option CSIS believes it can come up with? If it is then of course we will plan to go in.”

The General’s tone became more apologetic, “I’m afraid so. I know we need to get Tessa into some form of training. I keep meaning to schedule it, but you two have been so busy. If we can get this situation resolved then I promise no more missions until we get her field certified.”

Scott frowned, “Fine, but I want it noted that I don’t think this it is a wise choice to include Tessa on this mission – and that it has nothing to do with her ability or natural talents.”

Andrew’s tone was resigned, “Understood. Tessa do you have a way into the party, someone you could call or…?”

Tessa had to suppress a smile. “I have an account with Firestone. I’m sure if I call and ask to review my safety deposit boxes they will be thrilled to invite me to their little soiree.”

“Excellent. If you can be ready to leave by tomorrow afternoon that would be ideal. The party is in three days.”

As soon as the General hung up, Scott frowned at nothing on particular, “Don’t you think that’s strange? Grainger flew to London, but hasn’t met with anyone? Why is she delaying and running a higher risk of being caught? After all, you can’t find a country with stronger extradition ties than England. Committing a crime there is practically like committing a crime here because we’re so closely bound by treaties and the commonwealth.”

Tessa had to agree, “Maybe Grainger doesn’t realize how much we know or thinks she is sufficiently off the grid…either way, we should pack. And I need to call George.”

Scott pulled her into his lap, “So you two worked together?”

Tessa flushed at this question instantly sending off alarm bells in Scott’s mind, “How close were you exactly? How old is this guy?”

Avoiding her husband’s gaze she answered reluctantly, “He is thirty-six. I thought of him as a brother. The night of my twenty-first birthday, he told me he loved me. I didn’t know what to say. I let the friendship lapse. I do have a standing invitation to lecture at Cambridge, but I’m not sure how he is going to respond when I tell him I’m coming with my husband.”

Scott encircled her in his arms, “Well he’s going to have to get used to the idea because I have no intention of leaving.”

Tessa met his gaze, “Truly? Still no second guesses?”

He could see this question, though said in a half teasing tone, needed a sincere answer, “Truly…and not just because of this whole thing with CSIS, but because I love you. Remember?”

Leaning into his embrace, she pulled out her phone.

“Babe do you think you should call him now? It must be after ten in England.”

Tessa’s gaze was subdued, “If he is anything like what I remember, he’ll still be at work.”

With that statement, she hit dial.

On the second ring a man with a posh British accent answered, “This is Dr. Young, how may I help you?”

“George this is Tessa…is this a bad time?”

The voice on the other end was surprised, but not angry, “Tessa, I haven’t heard your voice in ages. This is a great time. By the way, I know congratulations are in order. I saw some of the pictures from your wedding. You made a beautiful bride.”

Meeting Scott’s gaze she pressed forward, “Thank you. I just wanted to let you know I’m flying to London tomorrow. I know we didn’t exactly leave things on the best of terms, but I didn’t want to come to England and then ignore you. I thought it would be nice to say hi…catch up if you have time.”

There was a brief pause, “That would be good. We were friends too long to just ignore each other now. How long will you be staying?”

Tessa’s voice was a study in disinterestedness, “We’re not exactly sure, two or three weeks probably. I’m going to do some work with our London branch and Scott is consulting with a few different projects.”

George’s voice betrayed the first hint of excitement since their conversation had started. “You know if you’re here for a few weeks you really need to come down to Cambridge and lecture. I know you might only be able to give a couple of seminars, but it would be great to have you. The students would be beside themselves with excitement.”

While she smiled in relief that he had extended the invitation, she simply asked, “Are you sure? I know this is last minute…”

“If you have time, we want you to come. My boss would never forgive me if I didn’t beg you to come.”

Tessa laughed, “How is Doctor Lucas?”

“She’s great, still a force of nature even at sixty-seven. At the rate she’s going she’ll outlast all of us. I’ll talk to her tomorrow and then you can give me a call when you land. We can work the details out then?”

“That sounds like a plan.”

“It was good to talk to you. It’s been way too long. Tell Scott I’m looking forward to meeting him. I know he must be pretty special if he managed to make you fall in love with him.”

Tessa couldn’t quite suppress a grimace as she listened to the tone of wistfulness that had crept into his voice at this last declaration. “I’ll tell him. Talk to you soon.”

“Absolutely, see you in a few days.”

When the line went dead, Tessa snuggled into Scott’s embrace. “He was right you know…about you being pretty special. It’s strange, you aren’t at all the person I pictured myself marrying, but you’re exactly what I needed…need.”

Lightly stroking her back, Scott had to smile, “I agree…I’m a little sorry for George, but I am thrilled that I’m the one sitting here holding you and not him.”

Finalizing their flight plans and making arrangements with the London office, they began to pack.

This endeavor was more organized than their last trip so Tessa actually took a full wardrobe.

As the jet departed for London, Scott and Tessa were both busily catching up on “real” work that had piled up in their frequent absences, but their destination was never far away from their minds.

They were attempting to take down not one, but three criminal organizations and a corrupt Government Agent.

Sorting through the relationship of a rejected suitor was minor compared to the rest of their trip.

* * *

Checking into their hotel, jet lag seemed to be pulling their eyes closed against their will.

Unfortunately, there was no time to waste on exhaustion.

Finally managing to get rid of the effusively helpful hotel staff, Tessa called Firestone Financial. It was technically after office hours, but being a billionaire carried certain privileges.

They would find someone for her to talk to.

After verifying her identity, she was transferred to no less than their Senior Vice President, Norman Vincent.

That man’s tone was every bit as ingratiating as all the other people they encountered on a daily basis. “Dr. Virtue-Moir, how delightful to hear from you. How may we assist you?”

“I’m in England for the next couple of weeks, but before I get too distracted by other engagements I would like to make a few changes to my portfolio and remove one or two items from my safety deposit box.”

“Naturally, we can have someone meet you at your earliest convenience.”

“I know it is short notice, but I’d like to get it taken care of tomorrow.”

Norman’s voice almost purred, “Don’t worry about inconveniencing us. Let us know what time works best for you and I will arrange it.”

“Excellent, then how about we say 1:00, right after lunch?”

“I will get it taken care of. By the way Dr. Virtue-Moir we are hosting a reception for our most valued clientele on Saturday. We would be thrilled if you have the time to join us. I am sure you are busy, but I can send an invitation to your hotel if you like?”

Tessa feigned her disinterest even though she and Scott felt a tremendous sense of relief that this first obstacle was removed. “Of course, I will check with Scott and we will let you know.”

“Thank you, may I assist you with anything else?”

“No, that will be all Mr. Vincent. Thank you for your help.”

“Any time. I look forward to seeing you tomorrow.”

Scott started unpacking, but there was curiosity in his gaze, “Have you ever had someone say no to you?”

Tessa didn’t pretend not to understand. “Honestly…not for a long time. I try to ask nicely and not make demands, but for the most part I guess I do assume people will give me what I want.”

Her tone betrayed insecurity, “Do you think I’m too pushy?”

Scott walked over to stand in front of her, pushing a stray hair behind her ear, “That is not what I meant. You rarely ask anyone for anything beyond what you need to do your job. I was just curious.”

Looping her arms around his neck, she thought about his question. “My parents occasionally tell me no. My siblings definitely tell me no – but it’s not quite the same thing.”

A mischievous smile chased across her face, “My professor’s at Toronto originally told me that I couldn’t use the DNA lab after hours…but they changed their mind. If I get too snobby let me know?”

He kissed her lightly, “I will, but I don’t think it’s going to be a problem…Why’d the professors change their mind about the DNA lab?”

“Well…I “borrowed” one of the professor’s key cards and started work on DNA sequencing relating to a cure for Alzheimer’s. When they realized I was actually making progress they gave me my own access card.”

“And how old were you at that point?”

Looking back into his eyes she smiled, “I was sixteen.”

Shaking his head, he went back to unpacking. “It’s a miracle you aren’t impossible to live with. Most people would have let it all go to their head.”

Shrugging her shoulders she moved to unpack her own suitcase. She was still clearly bothered by their conversation so he walked over to kiss her one more time. “I love you, and I promise I only asked out of curiosity. How about I take you to dinner?”

Her hands lightly rested on his chest for a moment as she searched his gaze before offering him a smile. “Dinner sounds wonderful.”

Kissing her forehead, he returned her smile before moving to make their dinner reservation.

Changing his mind at the last minute, he ordered room service. “Babe, how about we stay in? You won’t have to get dressed up. You could take a long shower, get a massage, relax…read a book…”

She laughed at the way he left the end of his sentence hanging. “I’m sure that is what you had in mind.”

His face was a study in innocence, “Well, jet-lag can be rough…if we happen to get distracted by anything else...it will at least be in the privacy of our room.”

Moving in the direction of the bathroom, she had to smile. It would be a relief to have one quiet night before jumping into the uncertainty that awaited them over the next few days.

When he didn’t immediately move to join her she arched her brows in question, “I believe I noticed one of those distractions in the shower…maybe we should investigate?”

Scott’s grin was almost wolfish as he scooped her into his arms while her laughter echoed in the room. Tonight they could succumb to distractions – tomorrow their focus had to be better than razor sharp.

Walking into the bank the next morning, Tessa was not surprised to see the President of Firestone himself standing in the lobby.

He was charming as ever, “Reginald this is Scott Moir, my husband. Scott, this is Reginald Whitson, the President of Firestone.”

“Mr. Moir it is such a pleasure to meet you at last. When I heard that Dr. Virtue-Moir had become engaged I knew the man in question must be quite special.”

Scott returned the man’s artificial smile. “Well, I think I definitely got the better end of the deal.”

Tessa pulled them back to the matter at hand, “Are the safety deposit boxes ready?”

An hour later, they were walking out of the bank after arranging for several pieces of jewelry to be delivered to their hotel.

The gems that would be arriving for Tessa to wear to the gala on Saturday were worth more than two million dollars.

As someone who was in the field of security consulting, and worked for CSIS, wearing that much money was a somewhat terrifying prospect.

However, Tessa seemed unperturbed by the risk.

Having safely established their invitation to the party and a schedule for Tessa’s lectures at Cambridge, they moved to Virtue Design’s London office.

It felt strange to be pretending that everything was normal when a corrupt CSIS agent could blow their cover at any time.

The surveillance teams reported that Grainger still hadn’t met with her contacts.

The whole set-up felt wrong, but they had to operate under the information they had, and there wasn’t much of that to go around.

* * *

Meeting Tessa’s eyes across the room, Scott tried not to let his concern show.

They had been at the gala for more than thirty minutes and there was still no sign of Grainger or any of her contacts.

Maybe the mission was nothing more than a wild goose chase.

He could see Tessa disengaging herself from her conversation and making her way towards him. Taking possession of his arm she smiled before adding in an undertone. “I just saw Rawlings arrive. It looks like we may have a party after all.”

Scott tensed, resisting the urge to start scanning the room.

They had to be smart about this.

The mission was already too dangerous.

Scott and Tessa split up to better evaluate the room.

Within twenty minutes, Lin and Petrov had also arrived, but there was no sign of Grainger.

Their targets of interest had security, but that was not surprising.

More than half of the guests in attendance had private guards with them, although weapons were carefully checked at the door.

Firestone wanted their patrons to feel safe and valued, but they also didn’t want a gunfight erupting in the middle of their soiree.

The three men didn’t bother to mingle, at least not intentionally, although they were stopped by a few acquaintances.

Each made his way toward one of the private rooms.

Firestone had reserved half-a-dozen of their meeting rooms for private engagements.

Many of their clients had important business to discuss.

Scott and Tessa mingled towards the room inconspicuously planting a listening device.

The three men sat around the table flanked by their guards.

Each man was busily employed in trying to appear nonchalant with varying degrees of success. They might be some of the most feared men in the world, but they were placing a great deal on the line by agreeing to meet with Grainger.

Tessa frowned, “I can’t believe they came. It doesn’t make sense that they would agree to meet with someone who can give them nothing new. Grainger doesn’t have enough clearance to provide them with additional information. Why are they here?”

Scott couldn’t answer her question, at least not with any authority. “Maybe all four of them are meeting with someone else?”

“Entirely possible, but I feel as if we’re being asked to assemble a puzzle with only half the pieces and no original photo.”

Scott couldn’t disagree so he went back to casually observing their quarry who were growing more restless by the minute.

A waiter carrying a tray of drinks finally approached the room. His face was a mixture of curiosity and trepidation.

Surprise was written on the faces of their three targets as he entered; they were clearly expecting someone else. “Good evening. I have been instructed to give the three of you these.”

The man pulled out three flash drives which had been clearly labeled, with the men’s names. Rawlings was the first to break the silence. “We were told we would be meeting with our liaison. Who are you?”

The man turned a shade paler, but his voice remained steady. “Mr. Smith sent me. He is under surveillance and did not want to risk compromising your identities. All of the data regarding the operation is contained in these flash drives along with a secure line to contact him at if you have questions. This will conclude your dealings with him.”

Petrov stood at that point, “That was not the agreement. The whole reason we came today was to meet with “Mr. Smith”. He could have mailed us this information instead of dragging us halfway across the world. I demand to speak with him immediately.”

The young man held his ground, “Mr. Smith is not here, and I regret to inform you that I do not have a way to contact him. However, if you will simply evaluate the information I have given you, he assures me you will be more than satisfied.”

Their looks were skeptical, but one of the security guards pulled out a small tablet and Lin inserted his drive.

It took less than ten seconds to load.

Whatever they were looking at was not having the effect their messenger had anticipated. Rawlings’ face was a shade of spruce while Petrov had grown a few shades paler.

Lin practically ripped the USB out of the port while yelling at his guard to detain the waiter.

For the first time in this entire encounter the young man’s face betrayed stark fear.

The mountain of a man that was with Rawlings had taken their guest by the collar and pushed him against a wall. Scott wondered if he should intervene.

If he stepped in it would blow their cover, but if he did nothing someone might get to get hurt. After a few minutes of questioning, it became clear that the boy knew nothing more about “Mr. Smith” than the three of them did.

Petrov rolled his eyes before nodding at his guard.

Almost before anyone could blink that man pulled out a wicked looking blade that security had somehow missed and stabbed the waiter.

Rawlings looked somewhat surprised, but not angry. “Why’d you do that here? It would have been easier to get rid of the body if you waited until we were outside.”

“And let him raise the alarm and escape? Nonsense. It will be easy to dispose of him. No one pays attention to a waiter.”

Tessa’s face had grown noticeably pale during this encounter. Scott could see her sway briefly before recovering her bearing.

They needed to get one of those flash drives.

Whatever was on them had just triggered a murder.

Whispering in an undertone Tessa asked, “Should we steal one of the drives or should we try to clone it?”

Scott frowned, “You can clone it?”

Tessa sighed, “You continually underrate my technological preparedness. I just need to get close enough.”

Scott placed a firm hand on her arm, “I don’t want you to get close to them at all. What do I need to do?”

Deciding not to argue, she offered him an ink pen, “This is a scanner. Get it close to the USB. It shouldn’t take more than thirty seconds. You can move it around some, but you need to keep a relatively close position to ensure the best scan. At this point though, any data is better than nothing.”

Scott looked at in curiosity, “Does it actually work?”

“Yes, it’s fully functional. It will write just like any other pen.”

He turned to go, but she rested a hand on his arm, concern clearly written in her gaze, “Please be careful…I’ll let Patrick know some of them may be leaving soon.”

Mustering a brave smile he kissed her cheek, “No worries. Don’t leave the main area. I don’t want anyone stealing you.”

She tried to return his smile, but couldn’t quite get rid of the wobble in her chin.

Watching him leave, she wondered if there would ever be a day when she felt completely assured that he would come back in one piece.

They lived a dangerous life, and there were times she would have given up a great deal to keep him safe or at least to keep him by her side.

Scott mingled his way towards Rawlings. Petrov and his bodyguard had left, along with the waiter’s body.

Lin was nowhere to be seen.

Rawlings’ security detail was the one who actually had the flash drive in his jacket pocket.

Approaching the man, Scott offered his hand, “Scott Moir, I run Moir Global Security. I couldn’t help but notice your stance. Ex-military?”

The man glanced towards his boss, but Rawlings was busily engaged in a conversation with another group of people.

“Dawson Quincy, former Australian Special Forces. You?”

“Joint Task Force 2. You know I recruit from all over the world. We opened our Australian office a year ago. If you’re ever interested in talking about other opportunities…you should give me a call.’

Scott pulled out one of his business cards and slowly wrote his cell phone number on the back of the card.

The pen wrote perfectly, and a muted green light came on after a few seconds.

Handing Dawson the card he mingled through the room before returning to Tessa’s side.

“I think we got it.”

Tessa tapped the clasp of her bracelet three times to let Patrick know they found the information they needed.

They had been at the party for more than an hour.

“Is it safe to leave already or would that raise suspicions?”

Scott glanced around the room with as much disinterest as he could manage.

“I think it’s a little precipitous to leave. Is your cell phone connection completely secure?”

Tessa leaned into his embrace a suggestive smile playing across her face.

She had gotten very good at selling their story in difficult situations, “Of course, do you want to try and boot it up…see what’s on it?”

He returned her smile, pulling her into one of the meeting rooms and kissing her neck.

She plugged the flash drive into her phone, “Scott, stop. You need to look at this.”

The contents of the flash drive had nothing to do with tying up loose ends or providing information on their contact.

Rather, it was a compilation of their dealings along with a tracker that initiated as soon as it was plugged in.

It was clear that the data was designed to be transmitted.

It wasn’t clear where the information was being sent.

Clearly, Rawlings at least was not too worried, but then Scott remembered he hadn’t plugged in his drive.

Maybe he didn’t realize that each USB contained all the data – someone wanted them to get caught.

Tessa’s phone was blocking the signal so nothing was being transmitted, but Scott still felt a little wary as he watched all those numbers flashing across the screen.

Tessa whispered in his ear, “We need to get back to the office so I can follow the tracker back to its source.”

Scott smile was strained, “You have the best toys, but this is more than enough though to incriminate our friends. Maybe we should call in the cavalry?”

Tessa frowned, “If we can’t find the source of the tracker then we need to follow them back to their source…but then again, they didn’t seem to know who they were supposed to be meeting – Mr. Smith is as general an alias as could be. Maybe we should take them down. After all, an extradition agreement will fall to pieces if they actually leave the country…at least for Lin and Petrov.”

Tessa called Patrick.

This was not a time for coded messages relayed through lapel pins.

His voice was strained when he answered.

One man had already been murdered.

They were not supposed to call him during this operation, and he had no way into the building – at least not a quick entry. “We have what we need to take them down. We haven’t traced the origin yet, but we can’t risk losing the three of them, and Lawson did say to take them if we had enough evidence to convict.”

Patrick’s tone was relieved, “Understood. I’ll have the teams move in. How do you want to handle Rawlings? He’s still in the room from what I’ve seen.”

Scott pulled Tessa’s arm into his own as they began walking around the room, “We can’t cause a scene without blowing our cover…whatever’s left of it that is. We’ll try to plant a tracker and when he leaves make sure someone is outside to take him down.”

Tessa pulled out her clutch under the guise of freshening her lipstick, but in reality she pulled out a tracker. She was about to approach Rawlings, but Scott pulled her back. “Let me do it. It’s too dangerous.”

She kissed him on the cheek. “Darling if you go over there he is going to suspect something. You’ve already been near him.”

Scott wanted to argue with her, but she had a valid point – she always had a valid point, “Alright, but I don’t like it.”

Watching her approach Rawlings, Scott felt as if he couldn’t breathe regularly.

The man less than two feet away from his wife was a confirmed murderer.

He would do anything to protect himself and his business, and she was supposed to plant a tracer on him without anyone noticing.

His phone buzzed as Patrick confirmed that the team had Lin and Petrov in custody.

Rawlings was the only one left.

Tessa always attracted immediate attention wherever she went.

Today was no exception.

The group immediately interrupted their conversation to include her.

Their welcome was almost effervescent in nature.

She knew most of the people, and the others rushed to make their introductions.

As she shook Rawlings’ hand he felt slightly relieved.

That was the plant for the tracker; now all she had to do was extract herself from the situation. She lingered for several minutes not wanting to arouse suspicion.

He was tempted to approach the group under the pretense of stealing her away, but he needed to trust her.

Considering the fact that she hadn’t been through much formal training she handled each situation like a pro.

She exchanged business cards with a handful of individuals, prompting everyone else to look on in envy at not being thought interesting enough to be included in this distribution.

She greeted several other people before returning to his side and pulling out a makeup compact, an obliging red dot appeared clearly showing Rawlings’ location.

Scott buzzed Patrick, “We have him on a tracker. We’ll let you know when he leaves.”

Patrick’s voice crackled through their earpieces, “We have the exits covered.”

Surprisingly, Rawlings didn’t appear to be in a hurry to leave.

Tessa felt as though someone was slowly releasing energy into her body as every nerve hummed with elevated awareness.

It was almost impossible to focus on conversations around her when a criminal was roaming around the room.

After what seemed like an eternity, Rawlings signaled Quincy that he was ready to leave.

That man called their driver. This was the tricky moment.

Lin and Petrov had left from side entrances and could be easily intercepted.

The American was simply planning to walk out the front door.

He was either exceptionally stupid or brazen.

Tessa felt as if she was holding her breath. “Patrick, they’ve called for the car. They’re getting ready to come out.”

It was tempting to intervene, and try to persuade their last criminal to take a side exit or to drug him and carry him out unobtrusively.

It was too late for any of those options now, especially if they were going to keep their cover intact.

The large black Land Rover pulled in front of the bank.

Quincy carefully inspected the perimeter before Rawlings made his way to the vehicle.

There was no sign of Patrick or the rest of the team.

They still had Rawlings on the monitor tracking his location, but caution was still in order.

Patrick’s voice crackled over the radio. “We have the situation in hand. We’re on point to intercept in less than two.”

A slight sigh escaped Tessa, but neither of them breathed with complete ease until they received the confirmation that Rawlings and his entire entourage were in custody.

His driver was dead. Quincy was wounded, but expected to survive.

Arriving back at their hotel, Scott set up a video feed to watch as they interrogated their three suspects.

They weren’t admitting much, but truthfully they didn’t have to.

CSIS had more than enough information to put them behind bars for the rest of their lives.

The chances of the three of them coming to trial was slim.

They would probably plead out and be locked up in a super-max facility.

The general population would never know that three of the world’s most powerful criminals had been arrested.

By midnight, the three men had signed plea deals.

Tessa frowned at the now blank screen. “Something’s wrong. None of this makes sense.”

Scott leaned back watching her remove bobby pins from her hair. “What doesn’t make sense?” Tessa frowned, “The data can’t be traced any farther than Grainger and while these guys are clearly important players on the world market they aren’t tying any of this back to Italy or the bigger picture.”

Scott had tuned out about the time she said the trail ended with Grainger which, incidentally, was also the moment that Tessa had started getting ready to take a shower.

He tried to clear his head, “Don’t worry about it babe. CSIS will keep working on it from their end. They’ve arrested Grainger and taking these guys out will disrupt weapons and cash flows to three major crime syndicates. It’s a good…no incredible few weeks of work. You’ve been amazing.”

Tessa opened her mouth to protest and continue arguing her point, but he moved to stand in front of her.

“Let it go T. One thing that can’t be accounted for in your formulas is human nature. Sometimes what we do doesn’t tie into a pretty bow. You have to learn to walk away. Besides, there is so much else we could be doing. Your training, other bad guys to catch…fun to be had.”

At this last declaration, he began sucking marks onto her collarbone.

Tessa struggled to think clearly. Maybe he was right. After all, he had more experience in these cases.

Her judgment was predisposed to analyze everything into a formula…perhaps she should let this one go?

Later that night, Scott was fast asleep, but she couldn’t get her brain to turn off.

Pulling out the copy of the flash drive she had made when no one was looking, she plugged it into her laptop and began to dissecting the information.

The tracer seemed to dead end at Grainger’s computer.

Maybe Scott had been right all along and the chain of command hadn’t gone any higher.

As a last precaution, she sent a redacted version of the information to Kaetlyn.

Her request was simple, run a tracer on the device with any new technology she could think of – with the processing power of Virtue’s supercomputers at her disposal.

Crawling back into bed, she dozed off.

Three hours later, her phone buzzed.

Scott pulled her closer before mumbling, “Something wrong?”

Tessa tried to clear the cobwebs that had clouded her mind as she reached for her phone.

It was a text message from Kaetlyn.

Tessa surprised herself with how easily she lied, “No, just the office in Montreal. Nothing urgent.”

Scott was already half-asleep by the time she finished that sentence.

With the time difference, they were constantly being sent messages at all hours of the night. Turning back to her phone Tessa felt her heart sink.

Kaetlyn’s message simply read, “Data trace uncertain – possible link to Italy. Will test further as possible.”

Italy…the apparent common denominator in the diamonds, the rendezvous points, and the purchase of the serum.

Neither Grainger nor the three men they had arrested today had connections to Italy.

If someone from that country were somehow involved, they were well concealed, and they had just received the gift of the perfect scapegoat.

However, Scott and CSIS wouldn’t be convinced of the truth without hard evidence, and she didn’t have any of that.

This investigation was going to take time.

It might not even lead anywhere.

Glancing over at the man sleeping beside her she felt a twinge of guilt.

He wanted her to leave the issue alone.

He hadn’t even been willing to discuss the possibility of someone else’s involvement.

Her research would need to be done quietly, without his knowledge.

This was the first time she had lied to him since they started working together.

It felt wrong to start now, but she had never walked away from a problem, and that was one record she wasn’t willing to sacrifice – especially when there was so much at stake.


	11. The Partnership

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short chapter because of format and the need to move the timeline forward. Just as an FYI - I am not necessarily advocating any of the activities I discuss here...you guys do you within healthy relationships. The entire timeline runs from the last chapter.

_1 month later_

**CSIS Case File Notes** :

Tessa passed her field certification training

Tessa passed her weapons certification training

**Tessa Virtue-Moir Case File Notes:**

Feels confident in ability to fire weapons appropriately at targets – does not care for said weapons – but understands they are necessary

She is interested in more extensive hand-to-hand combat training – especially since it would be a natural springboard from her kickboxing regimen

She is a natural marks-woman – shows clear vision for target

**Scott Moir Case File Notes:**

Continues to show exemplary skill in the field

Mollified by the training Tessa has received

Believes that increased scenario training would be helpful for future recruits – taking recommendation under advisement with Administration

**Tessa Virtue-Moir Personal Notes:**

Guns are terrifying – but at least I am fully aware of all safety issues and understand how to use one

Leg spreaders are both the most amazing sex toys and the most exhausting – 10 orgasms are too many

No progress made in Italy case – maybe I should drop it?

**Scott Moir Personal Notes:**

Lawson kept his promise and got Tessa into field training. It’s not quite enough, but it’s a start and we can build on the foundation together – she has a profound distaste for guns – understandably

Leg spreaders are mind blowing. You can go as long as they’re willing to let you

* * *

_2 months later_

**CSIS Case File Notes:**

Mission: Stop the sale of radioactive waste to an Eastern European terrorist cell

Location: Russia – non-cooperating Government

Cover: Opening night of Bolshoi season – Tessa is a long-time ballet enthusiast

Result: Sale prevented

Tessa: Tracked waste via energy measurements

Scott: Evaluated security forces, disarmed ten guards, recovered waste

Success: Yes

**Tessa Virtue-Moir Case File Notes:**

Interested in finding ways to be more hands on during missions

Concerned that buyer might not have been end user

**Scott Moir Case File Notes:**

Concerned about Tessa’s greater involvement, but admitted that it might be necessary in the future

Captured former KGB operative alive – may be able to provide details regarding end user

**Tessa Virtue-Moir Personal Notes:**

The Bolshoi is still one of the most stunningly gifted companies

Role playing as the principal ballerina and the demanding Artistic Director can be very…very sexy

I was ready to give up the whole Italy plot – but Kaetlyn ran the numbers using a new predictive model and the probability that someone from that country is involved is now up to eighty-three percent – I can’t walk away…but I can’t tell Scott with just this information

**Scott Moir Personal Notes:**

Tessa loves what she does, but you can tell part of her misses dancing

Never thought I’d be into role play…but oh my God

I feel like T is…not hiding something…but holding back…maybe I’m being paranoid…she’s probably stressed

* * *

_4 months later_

**CSIS Case File Notes:**

Mission: Unmask the members of a white supremacist terror cell in elite New York society

Location: United States – cooperating Government – requested assistance

Cover: Interest in the charity organization that provides a cover for the cell

Result: Members were identified and cell was dismantled

Tessa: Procured entry to group – took down two guards

Scott: Infiltrated cell group – took down helicopter with escaping cell members

Success: Yes

**Tessa Virtue-Moir Case File Notes:**

Showed marked improvement in field involvement

Her wealth continues to be an excellent cover for mission involvement

**Scott Moir Case File Notes:**

Scott’s tactical execution continues to be above average

His field training in social settings continues to improve

**Tessa Virtue-Moir Personal Notes:**

The actual application of field training was terrifying

I cried after I realized that one of the men actually died

Scott’s arms are incredibly comforting

**Scott Moir Personal Notes:**

Tessa was a rock star

My heart shattered when I realized how upset she was by having to kill someone

Holding her while she cries is heartbreaking, but I’ve never felt so needed

* * *

_7 months later_

**CSIS Case File Notes:**

Mission: Uncover plot to bomb the Eiffel Tower and place blame on refugees

Location: France – Government aware of involvement

Cover: Vacation – France is Tessa’s favorite country

Result: Bombers identified and plot defeated

Tessa: Provided distraction – eventually took out four guards

Scott: Hacked into organization database – took out two guards

Success: Yes

**Tessa Virtue-Moir Case File Notes:**

Tactical field improvement is remarkable

Adaptability when working with Scott exceeds all expectations

**Scott Moir Case File Notes:**

Now seamlessly integrates into upper societal echelons

Adaptability when working with Tessa exceeds all expectations

**Tessa Virtue-Moir Personal Notes:**

Everything is easier when it’s with Scott

Sex swings mounted to doors are…interesting…would probably not recommend experience

Still haven’t told Scott about Italy – have now narrowed trace from flash drives to Naples

**Scott Moir Personal Notes:**

Tessa makes everything easier

Sex swing experiment uncertain – will try one not attached to a door

She is definitely working on a secret project with Kaetlyn – but she’s not required to share everything with me – especially if it relates to Virtue Designs – I just wish I knew exactly what was happening

* * *

_8 months later_

**CSIS Case File Notes:**

Mission: (unplanned) Discovery of bombing threat at soccer stadium while Tessa was at conference

Location: Spain – no Governments were aware of issue – cooperated promptly once plot was identified

Cover: None necessary – Tessa and Scott were in town for a conference on renewable energy

Result: Bombing prevented

Tessa: Took out guards

Scott: Diffused bomb

Success: Yes

**Tessa Virtue-Moir Case File Notes:**

Tessa handled eight combatants without issue

**Scott Moir Case File Notes:**

Scott’s military training allowed him to diffuse bomb before 50,000+ people died

**Tessa Virtue-Moir Personal Notes:**

Oh my gosh unplanned missions are even more stressful

Scott diffused a bomb with 50,000 people chilling at a soccer game – they had no idea!!!

Free standing sex swings are amazing…the A spot is definitely a thing

**Scott Moir Personal Notes:**

I’ve never run into a surprise mission before – at least not like this

Tessa is definitely keeping something a secret – is it appropriate to spy on your wife?

The freestanding sex swing was _much_ better

* * *

_10 months later_

**CSIS Case File Notes:**

Mission: Disrupt smuggling ring being used to finance terrorism

Location: Morocco – Government aware of operation

Cover: Attendance at party to bid on rare art piece

Result: Smugglers identified and traced back to terrorist cell

Tessa: Kept audience in rapt attention at party while Scott looked for evidence of smuggling ring

Scott: Found paperwork tying smugglers to terrorist cell – took out seven guards

Success: Yes

**Tessa Virtue-Moir Case File Notes:**

Tessa is still the quintessential socialite cover when necessary

**Scott Moir Case File Notes:**

Scott maintained cool while he looked for evidence before drawing attention by taking out guards

**Tessa Virtue-Moir Personal Notes:**

I have to tell Scott the truth – he clearly suspects that something is going on

Still cannot pinpoint a location in Naples – it appears that we will not be able to further define radius

Impact play is…so hot…really…insanely hot

**Scott Moir Personal Notes:**

I think Tessa wants to tell me what is bothering her – she’s almost come clean several times – I just wish she’d trust me

Tessa’s ass turns the most incredible shade of red…I honestly almost lost my mind…and if her orgasm was anything to go by…we’ll be trying this again

* * *

_1 year later_

Watching as his grandfather’s casket was lowered into the ground, Scott felt numb.

Loss was supposed to grip you like a knife and make you want to sob violently.

Unfortunately, they had been in Mexico when the call came.

In order to avoid compromising their mission, he had to compartmentalize – and he hadn’t quite recovered the ability to feel.

GMac had been sick for a while, but it was hard to not be there in the end.

Tessa’s comforting presence had been the only constant during the days that had followed.

The Chaplain finished reciting the twenty-third Psalm and everyone began to disperse.

Family members were coming back to his parent’s house for dinner and commiseration.

Frankly, Scott did not feel like talking to anyone – maybe with the exception of his immediate family.

His job detached him more than he’d like from his extended family.

Normally, he wanted to take every opportunity to reconnect, but not today when it felt like his world was coming apart.

Still, things were going well overall until a distant cousin approached.

It was clear that the man was a little inebriated.

Scott had a bad feeling about the conversation before it started, but when the man actually started accusing Scott of abandoning his community to spend time with his wife’s rich family Scott could feel the flush of anger creeping up his neck.

It took everything within him not to deck the guy.

Later that night, Tessa could tell Scott was upset.

She wasn’t completely sure what that distant cousin has said, but Scott had been even quieter than when the call first came in about GMac.

Crawling into bed, she snuggled into his side, pressing a kiss just above his heart, “I’m so sorry babe.”

Scott squeezed her hand in response while offering a tired smile, “Thank you.”

“Do you want to talk about it…or what Will said to you earlier?”

Scott tensed beneath her, “I know we need to…maybe tomorrow. I’m really tired.”

Gently running her fingers through his dark curls Tessa wondered if she should insist, but maybe he really needed time.

* * *

Tessa felt as if she were choking.

In her dream, someone was cutting off her air passage.

Waking up, it didn’t take her long to realize it wasn’t a dream.

Scott had her in a headlock.

The room was fading in and out and she couldn’t speak so she stopped struggling with his arms around her neck and elbowed him in the stomach.

That was enough to wake him up.

She coughed and tried to restore air flow to her lungs.

Scott’s half dazed expression turned into one of horror. “Tessa…did I do that? Babe I’m so sorry. I…”

He stood, clearly not knowing what to do.

His PTSD had never led to violence.

Apparently, his encounter with his cousin and his grandfather’s death had upset him more than he realized.

Through her watering eyes, Tessa could still discern Scott’s face.

It was filled with such self-loathing it made her heart ache.

Extending her hand, she pulled him back to the bed. “I’m fine. Truly, I may not be able to speak very well for a few days, but I will be alright.”

Gently probing the red lines on her throat, he winced. “I could have killed you. A few more minutes and I would have woken up to…”

She tugged on his chin until his gaze returned to hers. “But you didn’t. Dwelling on what might have happened won’t help.”

He still averted his gaze as soon as she let go, “Still, I think it might be best if I sleep somewhere else tonight.”

Keeping a firm grip on his hand, she shook her head, “Absolutely not...but babe…I think…maybe this is a little beyond talking to me…I know we can’t exactly go hire a therapist…but…”

Scott buried his head in his hands, taking a shuddering breath, “Yeah…I think you might be right. I can’t even imagine if…”

Tessa wrapped her arms around his bicep, resting her head on his shoulder, “Maybe you could talk with Marie France? She has eyes only clearance and is a clinical psychologist. She’s also a friend so it wouldn’t raise suspicions if we visited.”

He still wouldn’t look at her, but he nodded in agreement, “Yeah, I think that would be good. I think the stress of everything just tipped me over the edge. Sometimes I just feel so disingenuous…like I’ve run away from who I really am.”

Tessa felt a wince of guilt at his confession.

She was partially responsible for the change in him – and she had been hiding an entire project from him for a year.

Still, this latest development meant it was once more not a good time to tell him what was really going on.

He didn’t need the extra stress…and maybe she just wasn’t quite ready to confess the truth…soon…


	12. The Healing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok - so the next three chapters are going to be short. I don't want to miss an update, but between work and grad school I won't have time to do long edits. I'm not a licensed therapist so I'm not going to pretend to know what a counselor might say to a person struggling with this level of PTSD. I would encourage you to seek real help if you feel like you need it. Thank you guys for all your enthusiastic support! The timeline runs from the last chapter.

_1 week later_

Scott felt like he might jump out of his skin.

The situation was far less threatening than some of the scenarios in which he had found himself over the years, but he had never been quite so frightened by the dozens of terrorists he had fought as he was of the petite dark-headed woman sitting across from him.

Doctor Marie-France Dubreuil was a miniature force of nature – much like Tessa…and not at all like Tessa.

They shared a passion for their work, a commitment to excellence, and a number of other attributes, but there were parts of his wife’s nature that were more in line with Marie’s husband – Patrice.

Since they don’t share the same last name, Scott hadn’t connected the mathematician who analyzed Tessa’s data for CSIS with the behaviorist who spoke with Tessa all those months ago…it felt like a lifetime and just yesterday at once.

Patrice was logical, brilliant, and succinct - never using ten words when three would do.

Scott could actually understand him with relative ease after being married to Tessa - they were the scientists.

Marie-France, on the other hand, was brilliant, logical, loquacious, fiercely affectionate, protective of those she loved, and effervescent. 

That woman’s brown eyes were kind, but probing in a way that made you feel she could see your soul.

She seemed to have an almost clinical intuition regarding human emotion and behavior.

He and Tessa had arrived last night.

They would be staying for a week, and depending on how things went, he would continue talking with Marie via secure video chat as long as they deemed necessary.

Discussing his relationship with Tessa, his past, and their current situation had been much easier over dinner and wine than sitting across from “therapist” Marie this morning…this might take a while.

Marie-France had to suppress a smile at the terror in Scott’s gaze.

People often thought she could read their mind – which was absurd – for the most part.

No, she was just very good at paying attention, behavioral analysis, and understanding the human psyche.

When Tessa called to explain the situation with Scott, she and Patrice had invited the two of them to stay without hesitation.

Clearly, Scott needed help, but because of their situation with CSIS and the highly classified nature of their work, he couldn’t hire a random therapist.

So, here they sat prepared to discuss some incredibly painful memories.

She had started with an easy question, “Tell me about your family growing up.”

You would have thought she had asked Scott to solve world peace.

Sensing that he needed to be rescued, she moved to sit beside the young man who had witnessed more death and destruction than anyone should be required to endure.

Placing a gentle hand on Scott’s arm she began, “Scott, I don’t want this to be a source of additional anxiety. I want to help you – but I can only do that if you’re honest with me. I’m not looking for complicated answers. I just want you to speak from your heart.”

Meeting his eyes, Marie-France felt a measure of heartbreak at the vulnerability in their hazel depths, “I almost killed Tess…did she tell you that?”

Fighting to keep her expression neutral Marie shook her head, “No…she didn’t mention that. It’s just us Scott – no CSIS, no pressure, not even Tessa for these conversations. This is about you.”

“What if I can’t be fixed?”

In a move she would not have replicated with any of her other clients, Marie gently stroked the back of her fingers down his cheek, “You don’t need to be fixed – your heart just needs to heal. And if you’re willing to put in the work…I think you can gain the tools necessary to do that.

Scott’s expression was skeptical, but after a few minutes, he nodded in agreement, “Yeah…I’m willing to try.”

“Excellent…so tell me about your childhood.”

Scott took a deep breath and began, “Well…I was born in Ilderton…and I’ve never forgotten that – no matter how far I travel…or what I do.”

* * *

_3 months later_

Tessa stared at the mission brief in front of her as resignation and frustration competed for space in her brain and heart.

After the death of Scott’s grandfather, CSIS had given them three months off.

When they argued that their personal work was suffering and that Scott needed some time away there had been a few petulant Administrators, but ultimately Andrew had won the day and agreed they could have three months off.

The General was the only one who seemed to understand that they were verging on burnout.

However, even he might not have been so accommodating if he knew the two of them were using that time for therapy.

Tessa felt tears sting the back of her eyes as she remembered Scott’s voice being so full of uncertainty and wonder that Marie-France didn’t think he was broken

Tessa knew that if she lived to be a hundred she could never thank her mentors sufficiently for pouring so much love, time, and wisdom into them.

The ability to be completely transparent with other people had never been an option. Marie-France and Patrice had practically made it a house rule.

Scott had made tremendous progress, but now it was time to return to reality.

They were being sent to the Bahamas to monitor a weapons dealer who was participating in a high-stakes poker game.

It would be beautiful, but it was also a return to the danger, adrenaline, and stress that had filled their lives for more than a year.

It was also an insistent reminder that she needed to tell Scott the truth.

She had cycled through every excuse in the book, but she was actually building a coherent case at this point.

She was gathering traction on the argument that Agent Grainger had not been the real mole.

Scott needed to know the truth – not just because he was her partner and deserved her honesty – but because he was the senior field agent and would have more insight on how to handle this situation.

In the midst of this contemplation, Scott wandered through her office door trailed by Newton.

That puppy had grown into an energetic, affectionate, and enormous ball of fur.

She was ready, she had actually opened her mouth to confess her duplicity when Scott asked a question that caught her completely off guard, “Do you ever think about getting out?”

Tessa met his eyes in surprise and uncertainty.

She had no frame of reference for where that question had come from.

Tugging on his hand until he sat down beside her, she asked, “What prompted that question?”

Scott shrugged his shoulders, clearly uncomfortable, “I don’t know…I guess I was reading the brief and I suddenly realized that I have enjoyed the past three months. I thought I’d lose my mind, but I’m going to miss our quiet mornings, random lunch dates, tripping over Newton every night before bed…”

She could tell there was more on his mind so she let him gather his thoughts.

He finally continued, more quietly than before, “For a long time, I didn’t think I had earned the whole house with a back yard, normal job, and kids that look like the perfect mix of you and me. As much as I wanted those things, I thought I was too messed up – had messed up too much to deserve paradise.”

Pressing a kiss to her shoulder he pushed forward, “After talking with Marie-France I realized I may or may not deserve those things – there isn’t some magical scale for evaluation – but I can have those things. I can be intentional about pursuing them.”

Meeting her eyes once more, he finished, “I don’t want to worry about you getting shot. I want us to be able to talk about having kids without worrying if we’ll be here to raise them. I don’t want to be watching over our shoulders for the rest of our lives. We can’t do any of that while we’re working for CSIS.”

Tessa searched his eyes, “You’d be willing to give up all the adrenaline and covert operations to have the house, two kids, a dog and a minivan?”

Scott grinned, “I do not _ever_ plan to drive a minivan and I’d like to think about having more than two kids. I want to take them to hockey practice and get them ice cream.”

He linked their hands together, “As far as the adrenaline goes, I don’t need that anymore. I don’t have anything to prove – and I’m not using the adrenaline to silence my doubts or balance the scales...besides, if I ever feel a desperate need for adrenaline I can always go skydiving.”

Tessa could actually see the sincerity radiating from his gaze, “You’re telling the truth. You’re being serious.”

Scott let her process his answer as she continued, “I guess I always wondered what would happen when our five years were up. I know we agreed to stay together, but I never stopped to seriously consider what that would mean. Were we supposed to work for CSIS the rest of our lives or were we supposed to retire at that point and have a normal existence?”

Tessa’s face was a study in concentration as she continued, “I need to think about this – a part of me wants to jump at the idea of settling down into a normal life, but we did promise five years. It seems unfair to stop before we’ve fulfilled our end of the bargain.”

She frowned at their joined hands as if they were the source of her muddled thoughts, “Although I suppose you could argue that we’re corrupt data. After all, we actually fell in love. Unless every couple the agency pairs together also falls in love, our relationship can’t really be reproduced…”

Scott pressed a kiss to her forehead which was puckered into a frown of concentration, “I don’t need or want you to give me an answer now. We should give this a lot of thought and consideration. I just want you to know that I’m thinking about our options. Even if we decide to finish out the five years, you deserve to know that I want a normal life – one where we don’t have to sweep for bugs or worry about losing one another in the field.”

She returned his kiss. “Thank you for telling me. I will give it some serious thought.”

Squeezing her waist, Scott rose to finish the mission plans, “That’s all I can ask. I love you.”

She kissed him one more time before gliding back to her desk. “And I love you.”

It wasn’t until that night, snuggled into his side, their bags once more packed for a life-threatening mission, that she realized she still hadn’t told him about Italy.

With steely resolution, she vowed to tell him the truth…tomorrow…or maybe once they got back from this mission…after all, she didn’t want to distract him.

Why was there never a good time to be honest?


	13. The Truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have some smut...and the truth  
> As an FYI - The Ocean Club is the resort they used in Casino Royale - I didn't realize it was a real place, but it's beautiful. It is also the most luxurious/expensive hotel I could find listed in the Bahamas. I have no idea if they host luxury poker tournaments.

The Ocean Club was stunning – there wasn’t another way to describe it. It was luxury at it’s greatest height.

It offered nightly gambling, but in two days it would host its yearly poker tournament. Players from all over the world who could afford the five million dollar buy-in would gather to try their luck at the tables.

Tessa knew she was good at cards because of her math skills and Scott was an excellent poker player because of his ability to read human nature – but neither of them were actually here to play.

They would observe, mingle, and appear to be on a relaxing vacation while monitoring a seller who routinely moved hundreds of millions of dollars in weapons each year.

Their ocean front villa was ridiculously opulent, but they had an image to maintain.

As the porters deposited their luggage, Tessa could tell that Scott was worried.

He thought she was upset by his conversation about leaving CSIS early.

If he knew the real reason she was distracted he would not be concerned – he would be angry.

Still, she was resolved to tell him the truth as soon as they got back – no more excuses.

They would have a week of playing in the sun, gathering evidence regarding a ruthless arms dealer, and then she would share the project she had been hiding from him.

He would be upset – how could he not be – but he would forgive her (probably).

She could show him her uncertainties and fears.

She would be honest and vulnerable about why she kept the secret and he would understand…hopefully.

Scott valued honesty – maybe more than any other attribute. Loyalty was a close tie, but she knew there would be some bridges to rebuild after a year’s worth of hiding a secret project.

Still, she was prepared to put in the work – to prove he could still trust her and that she had just been wrapped up in her own insecurity and worry.

However, they did have tonight…before Charles Deveroux, weapons dealer extraordinaire, arrived.

They had endless time to order room service and take advantage of the fact that their villa was isolated…private…only theirs.

* * *

Scott wondered if his conversation with Tessa had upset her more than she admitted. She had been uncharacteristically quiet the entire flight.

Maybe she wasn’t as ready to commit to normal?

Maybe she didn’t want forever anymore?

Maybe the thought of their relationship outside the parameters of dangerous missions wasn’t something she was prepared to face.

She was still incredibly affectionate. She tucked herself under his arm without question and lifted up on her toes to kiss him, but she was clearly holding something back.

They had tonight all to themselves in a private, luxurious beachfront villa before they were required to spy on a ruthless arms dealer.

Surely, he could uncover the truth. He really ought to just ask.

Still, a part of him was worried about her answer…if it was something about him – some irreconcilable difference – did he really want to know?

A pair of slender, but strong, arms wrapped around him from behind as she pressed a kiss between his shoulder blades.

Clasping her hands, he guided her around until she was standing in front of him before pulling her in for a kiss.

It was meant to be chaste…reassuring…

Tessa, apparently, had different plans as she traced his lips with her tongue until he opened his mouth to give her access.

When they pulled apart for breath, desire was clearly written on both of their faces.

Pulling her into the bedroom and throwing the glass doors open, Scott tossed his shirt aside before tugging her clothes off as well.

Laying back on the bed, he tugged on her hand until she was straddling him.

He was half-hard so she reached out intending to stroke him into steel, but he pulled her hands away, “Sit on my face.”

She couldn’t quiet suppress the soft whimper that escaped her at this instruction as she moved to comply.

The first few times they had done this, she had tentatively hovered over his mouth.

He always pulled her legs further apart until she was resting with far more of her weight on him.

Now when he offered, she would spread her legs and give him full access to take what he wanted – and give her everything.

The first long lick up her cunt always set the tone for everything else.

Throwing her head back in uninhibited pleasure she moaned his name…everything else was going to be heaven.

* * *

Scott knew he was grinning like the cat who got the cream (and he had…several times), but he couldn’t quite manage to stop.

He had made Tessa come while she practically rode his face.

She had made him come with her cherry red lips wrapped around his cock looking like some sort of green-eyed angel…a very sinful angel.

He made her come with his fingers on the kitchen counter when they paused for drinks.

He made her come again when he fucked her hard, at her very specific request, from behind – their naked bodies on full display for anyone daring to invade their private paradise.

They finally made each other come as she clenched around him while he struck her ass in rhythm with his thrusts.

He was already making plans to explore the shower, the jets in the pool, and maybe the hammock in short order.

This might be his favorite mission to date.

Tessa had moved into the en suite to clean up while Scott absently read over the menu selection. He was considering the wisdom of carb-loading for energy when Tessa’s phone rang.

Her voice echoed from the bathroom, “Will you grab that babe? It’s probably work.”

Glancing at the caller ID Scott grinned, it was Kaetlyn.

She had successfully defended her dissertation last month and was now officially Dr. Kaetlyn Osmond.

The clinical trials for her new prosthesis work were getting ready to begin on wounded veterans.

She probably had a quick question for Tess about neural connections or some other equally esoteric topic.

“What up homie?”

He had refused to answer her phone calls any other way since their first encounter all those months ago.

Kaetlyn’s laughter echoed over the line, “Not much. I just had a quick update for Tessa.”

“You know sometimes I feel very underappreciated, T will be a minute. Do you want her to call you back?”

Kaetlyn’s tone could only be described as blasé, “No, it involves both of you so I’ll just give you the update and you can pass on the information yeah?”

Scott couldn’t recall any joint projects that Kaetlyn, Tessa, and he were supposed to be working on, but who knows what his wife had roped him into, “Sure – you know we’re a well-oiled machine a perfectly matched partnership.”

“Nauseatingly so at times. Anyway, it’s about that Italy thing she’s had me tracing for the past few months – you know from that project you guys found on your second honeymoon?”

Apparently she took Scott’s silence for assent so she continued, “I was just going to tell her that I can’t see any more information on my end about Grainger. Everything is being hidden behind CSIS firewalls and I would rather not get arrested for hacking a government database.”

Scott felt his head spinning…none of this made sense.

What in the hell was Tessa doing – behind his back nonetheless?

Kaetlyn’s voice betrayed uncertainty for the first time in their conversation, “Scott…did you hear me?”

Shaking his head as if he could reorient his disjointed thoughts he answered, “Sorry, jet lag’s a bitch. Yeah, so if T and I want to go any further with this we’ll have to go through…other channels?”

“Yeah…sure we’ll go with that. Let me know if Tessa needs anything else?”

Affecting a lighthearted tone he did not feel, Scott agreed, “Absolutely. I’ll touch base with her and we’ll see if we need anything else. Thanks Kaetlyn.”

Dropping onto the bed and gripping his head in his hands, he tried to sort through the way a three minute conversation could seemingly turn his life upside down.

Tessa had been lying to him for more than a year.

Tessa had gone behind his back to investigate…well he’s not sure what she was investigating, but it clearly involved their first case – the one he told her to drop.

Dozens of conflicting emotions played through him as he considered the possibility that maybe she had been right – maybe he had deliberately ignored evidence, maybe the scheme went higher than Grainger…

Yet the unceasing echo in his brain was the fact that Tessa hadn’t told him.

There was an entire year where she could have tried to explain her concerns – tried to talk with him – tried to be honest…and she hadn’t done that.

Tessa felt growing concern at the way Scott had gone eerily quiet since answering her phone.

The call could have been about any number of things – including dozens of complications to their mission, “Scott babe is everything ok?”

When he didn’t answer, genuine alarm bells began to sound in her head.

Walking into  their bedroom she felt something akin to panic at the sight of him hunched over with his head in his hands.

Dropping to her knees in front of him, she placed her hands reassuringly on his forearms only to have him flinch away. Scott had never resisted her touch – not even when they first met, “Baby please talk to me. Who was on the phone?”

Scott’s eyes met hers with an expression she had never seen before – coldness.

She had seen love, anger, laughter, tears, elation, frustration, tranquility, worry and any number of other sentiments in his hazel eyes – but he was never void of emotion.

His voice was detached, but he couldn’t quite suppress the edge of bitterness in his tone, “That was Kaetlyn.”

The realization of what might have happened made her want to be violently ill – surely this wasn’t happening.

Surely this wasn’t how Scott would find out she had been lying to him.

Sitting on the ground because she wasn’t completely sure her legs would support her if she tried to stand at the moment she whispered, “What did she say?”

Scott stood abruptly and began pacing the room, “Well she told me that apparently we are still investigating something related to Italy – and Grainger specifically. She was quite confident that I was fully apprised of the situation.”

He had stopped to stare out the enormous open glass doors.

Tension was practically rolling off him in waves.

She needed to fix this…somehow…

“Scott…I’m sorry.”

He spun around to face her, indifference completely replaced by incredulity and barely controlled anger.

“Tessa Jane McCormick Virtue do you really think sorry is going to fix this? I have spent the past year practically splitting my soul in half in an attempt to be completely honest with you. I have never lied to you – not once.”

Tears were blurring her vision, but she could still see him take a step back when she moved towards him, “Scott please can we talk about this? I never meant for you to find out like this. I had every intention of telling you everything after this mission.”

“I gave you so many chances to tell me. I kept asking if something was wrong, if you were worried, if there was anything I could do – I was practically begging you to be honest.”

He ran his hands through his hair both in frustration and to have something to do with his hands, “God T – this isn’t some sort of little secret. These are the kinds of underhanded dealings that get people killed. These are the secrets that get people assassinated because you meddle in the wrong thing.”

“I’ve been very discreet – no one knows anything.”

Watching Scott’s face, she could witness the real-time effect of her words.

She conceded that her word choice was…not the best under the circumstances.

She could almost hear him silently count to ten in an effort not to scream.

“Tessa…we live in a world of shadows. Our missions may be more glamorous than other teams, but the bullets are just as real. You may think you’ve hidden your involvement – but you have no way to verify that. You have endangered both of our lives and possibly others as well.”

He took a fortifying breath before continuing, “I’m going for a run before I say something I can’t take back. When I return we are going to talk about what you have been investigating. You are going to be completely honest with me and we’re going to decide on a course of action.”

“Scott…I don’t…”

She could tell he was verging somewhere between a panic attack and a shouting match that they would both regret.

Watching him step outside, she ran to the bathroom, promptly losing the contents of her stomach before bursting into tears.

Scott had given her the incredibly precious gift of his unreserved trust.

He was right, between midnight conversations, therapy, and an unwavering commitment to transparent communication he had given her unrestricted access to himself - something no one else had - not even his family.

She had betrayed that trust – his one inviolable rule – for more than a year.

It hadn’t really dawned on her that what she was doing was life-threatening.

Granted, she understood the need for discretion and caution – but data analysis was such an abstract thing.

The notion that the real mole – the far more powerful mole who had far more to lose than Grainger ever had – might be investigating as well hadn’t really entered her mind as a concrete possibility.

The understanding that she had been actively (albeit unintentionally) endangering Scott, Kaetlyn, herself, and others was enough to set off a fresh round of tears.

She wasn’t sure how long she had been sitting on the bathroom floor, but she could hear Scott return.

It was time to be honest – to give account for the past year.

She had to find a way to fix this…to prove she still deserved his trust…because living in a world where Scott Moir didn't love her - didn't share his heart with her...she couldn't begin to imagine what that would be like.


	14. The Visitor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tomorrow's chapter should be normal length :) Thanks for being patient while I have survived the past few days!

Pulling herself to her feet and splashing some cold water on her face, Tessa took a fortifying breath and prepared to face Scott.

Hopefully he would be calmer – ready to listen even if he wasn’t quite ready to forgive.

Wandering back into the main living area, she was disappointed to find one of the staff members – not Scott.

The young man, on the other hand, seemed quite surprised to see her, “Oh, Dr. Virtue-Moir I didn’t realize...that is I didn’t mean to startle you. Mr. Moir ordered champagne and chocolate.”

Tessa knew her brain was not quite firing on all synapses, but she was relatively sure Scott hadn’t ordered anything before their conversation from hell and he hadn’t taken his phone so it would have been impossible for him to do so since then.

There was something off about the man in front of her…she couldn’t quite articulate what…but something.

Pulling herself together, she offered the man a disarming smile as she mentally noted the man didn’t have a nametag – all of the staff had nametags, “That’s just like him to order my favorite things without telling me. You can leave them on the counter right there and I’ll grab my purse for the tip.”

She didn’t trust him enough to turn her back to him, but she did babble on about champagne brands and chocolate flavors, all the while willing Scott to return.

The man was much larger than her, and if he became antagonistic his muscular frame would have little problem overpowering her.

Apparently he was beginning to understand that Scott was not present as he took a step closer, a more predatory glint in his eye.

It took everything in her not to flinch. She didn’t have her gun, but there was a knife rack behind her.

As unobtrusively as possible, she grasped two of the handles.

They were expensive and weighted better than most kitchen utensils, but still a far cry from the throwing knives she wore around her thighs on some missions.

Still something was better than nothing.

When the man moved forward once more she brought the knives in front of her lightly grasping one of the handles to throw if necessary.

The man paused once more – hesitation clearly written in his gaze.

She kept her expression entirely innocent and open as she nodded towards the chocolate, “I’m going to cut some of the pieces up.”

A sound alerted both of them to Scott’s presence as he came back in, drenched in sweat, “Ok Tessa – we need to…”

Scott paused at the sight in front of him. Tessa was leaning against the countertop with two wicked looking kitchen knives while a man who clearly had combat training was standing on the opposite side of the kitchen.

Alarm raced through him.

He kept his eyes trained on the man in case he decided to move, but he addressed his question to Tessa, “Is everything ok babe?”

He could see Tessa nodding out of the corner of his eye, “Of course. This nice man was just saying that you ordered champagne and chocolates for me.”

At this declaration, their uninvited guest turned to run, only to fall to the ground with a cleaver embedded in his thigh.

Before he could reach for a gun or another weapon, Scott moved to zip-tie his hands behind his back, “Call Lewis and tell him we have a delivery.”

Tessa knew her hands were shaking even as she moved to call Patrick who was staying in a less opulent hotel.

Within half an hour, their intruder had been carted off for interrogation.

Within an hour, the blood that had stained the floor had been removed.

Within two hours, state of the art security had been installed for the duration of their trip and analysts were working to discover if the man was merely an opportunistic thief or if he was connected to a case.

Scott watched Tessa as everyone finally cleared their villa.

She was even paler than usual, and unless he missed his guess – she was still trembling.

She had been incredibly brave – God if the night had gone differently…

He was still furious with her, but if he had lost her – dwelling on that thought made him ill.

The urge to pull her into his arms and let her cry competed with anger over her dishonesty.

He wasn’t even sure how to process the conflicting emotions racing through his mind and heart.

Tessa could actually feel her body shaking.

She was a far more seasoned agent now than when they started this process a year ago – but today had been a lot…on so many levels,

She knew Scott was worried, it was written in his gaze.

He couldn’t just turn it off – he loved her too much which thrilled her heart and made her feel even more guilty by turns.

Her head was pounding and under any other circumstances, she would have buried her face in his shirt and cried until she was spent and then curled into his side and slept.

She had allowed him to do the same when therapy had raised demons too great to be silenced by mere words.

They had been each other’s touchpoint – the constant reality in the middle of lies, death, and danger for the past year.

That is what Scott felt she had betrayed – that is what she had compromised.

She couldn’t quite suppress the tears that were threatening to spill from her eyes so she turned away.

She wasn’t going to guilt him into forgiving her.

“Tess…”

Scott had moved to stand behind her, uncertainty practically dripped from his tone, but she would take the way he breathed her nickname in pain and stress over the way he had hurled her full name at her minus his earlier in the evening.

Trying to will her tears to subside, she turned to face him.

His hazel eyes were shifting colors from dark to gold with his emotions and the light.

 She knew her chin was still trembling and if he wanted to talk, she wouldn’t be able to manage that feat without bursting into tears.

Scott could clearly see her trembling before him, but it was her eyes that filled with such a mixture of pain, regret, and guilt that ultimately made his decision for him.

Holding his hand out to her, he offered an olive branch.

She met his eyes in uncertainty before moving into his arms and finally giving way to body shaking sobs.

“I am sorry. I know it’s not enough, but Scott I didn’t set out to lie to you. I just wanted to know the truth and then all of the sudden I was so far in I wasn’t sure how to tell you and…God I’ve made such a mess.”

Scott’s pretty sure he heard her half-choked words correctly, but it was difficult to be sure since they were muffled by both her tears and his shirt.

When it became apparent that she was spiraling further into panic, instead of growing calmer, he began rubbing soothing strokes up and down her back, “Breathe with me T. You’re going to make yourself sick.”

Focusing on the rise and fall of his chest, Tessa took several shuddering breaths trying to calm her racing heart.

When he moved to pull away, she clung to his shirt as if it was the only thing keeping her upright, “Scott please…”

“I’m going to grab two bottles of water and then we’re going to talk.”

Sitting across from him on the couch, she ached for the casual intimacy that would have given her unquestioned freedom to sit in his lap or snuggle into his side.

They were so happy just a few hours ago…

Taking a sip from her water bottle, she looked at him in inquiry.

She would let him set the tone for this – whatever he needed from her.

“Tell me what you’ve been doing for the past year – facts only.”

“So no sidetracks about how awful I felt for lying or how much I wanted to tell you?”

Something like anger flashed in Scott’s eyes before he very deliberately relaxed his shoulders, “No – I can’t listen to that right now. I need to know what and who has potentially been compromised and what kind of potential disaster we are facing.”

It would be the hardest thing she had ever done, but if that’s what he needed – then that’s what she would give him…facts only.


	15. The Transparency

“After everything happened on our first mission, I couldn’t quite shake the feeling that something was wrong...everything tied into such a neat package –  almost like someone had giftwrapped three crime lords, and a dirty agent to appease our investigation.”

Scott’s face was impassive as she continued, “According to my original analysis, the missing data was too specific to be an accident. We assumed it was Agent Grainger that had removed the information from the database.”

Tessa took a deep breath, this is where things got a little cloudy, “What I found, as I began investigating, was that the excessive tampering was traceable through the past four years – the same time period that Agent Grainger had been in charge of the Division. However, the longer I looked the more I realized that some of the numbers had been altered going back as many as eight years.”

Scott’s eyes were more focused the longer she talked, not more forgiving necessarily, but one step at a time, “At that point in her career, Grainger was a basic field agent and wouldn’t have been allowed within ten feet of a database containing such sensitive information. Beyond that though, as I began to think about the way the data was removed it started bothering me.”

Scott could see Tessa growing more animated as she talked.

This was her element – research.

He would be tempted to smile if everything wasn’t so serious.  

“Cynthia Grainger was a physical education major. She made a D in tenth grade Algebra and a C in Probability and Statistics in College. Her co-workers and those who worked for her routinely complained that she struggled to operate Excel – never mind complicated number sets.”

Scott was frowning in concern with each statement.

At least he was taking her seriously, “So we have an agent who, by all reports, wasn’t qualified for the job she was hired to do. This made me wonder, if she wasn’t hired for her expertise, then why was she chosen? That is what I was having Kaetlyn investigate.”

Something resembling a grimace crossed Scott’s face as he recalled the conversation that had turned a wonderful day into a torturous experience she never wanted to repeat again.

Still she pushed forward, “You may be interested to know that there is almost no documentation regarding who hired her. The files were lost. The Human Resource Manager who supervised the process has since retired to the Virgin Islands and can’t be reached.”

Tessa was methodically peeling the label off her water bottle and Scott gave momentary thought to finding something stronger for both of them to drink, but they needed to be focused – not numbed.

“The more I investigated the little information I could obtain on her, the more concerned I became. Her profile reads like a manual for the Stockholm syndrome victim – highly susceptible to suggestion, unstable family life, looking for validation through work or approval from authority figures, willing to adapt or adopt beliefs...”

His wife’s voice was weary, but deadly serious, “She was barely qualified to be a CSIS Agent under any circumstances. She definitely did not need to be leading her own team. Yet she has been cast as a villain in a play that requires her to be technologically proficient, a strong and determined individual motivated by nothing but profit, yet one stupid enough to begin cataclysmically altering data sets she had just been put in charge of.”

Somewhere in this final assessment Scott had stood to stare out the window, attempting to process everything she was saying.

Finally, she offered, “Agent Grainger is not technologically proficient, and in my unprofessional opinion, she needed counseling, but she is not an idiot. Anyone with half a brain would have worked up to the massive changes gradually – she also would have waited until another agent was brought in before bugging our room. Having it bugged right after she was introduced made her look irrevocably guilty.”

Scott couldn’t decide where to begin, so he just asked the first question that came to mind, “How does Italy fit into this mess?”

Relieved that he seemed to be willing to discuss the situation, Tessa readily answered, “The tracer we ran in London linked back to Grainger’s computer. However, when we ran the location using new tracking data through the supercomputers at Virtue Designs the trace tentatively linked back to Italy.”

Moving to stand beside him, Tessa whispered, “That’s part of the reason this went on for so long. I was limited by the technology and how quickly updates to the tracking systems could be made.”

This was veering away from a “facts only” statement and into the territory of a personal excuse.  

Still Scott’s expression remained neutral – not angry which, under the circumstances, was enough to thrill her heart.

Scott felt his head spinning as he tried to process the year’s worth of research she had just presented him, “If I understand this correctly, you’re saying the leak and data manipulation started significantly before Agent Grainger was hired? However, you’re also saying she was hired in order to fully carry out the real guilty party’s objectives while insulating them somewhat from the worst of the scrutiny?”

“Yes, whoever “they” are, needed someone to take the fall. Even if she suspected something was wrong, she was probably too afraid to report her concerns because it would have shown how hopelessly unfit she was for her position – not to mention the possibility of betraying the very person who appointed her in the first place.”

Scott nodded, “Then you’re saying the data that was chosen because it was perfectly tailored for a mathematical analysis to serve the Rawlings, Petrov, Lin, and Grainger to CSIS on a platter.”

Tessa felt a wave of relief at Scott’s understanding, “Yes, this type of crime would be perfect for the two fold issue we’re looking at – the mole protects their identity and even has a way out on some levels – while someone outside the organization has profited from the three crime leaders being taken out.”

 Scott turned to lean against the door, staring at the floor as if it held all of the answers to their problems. “We need to ask ourselves two questions. First of all, who in the CSIS has enough clearance to not only delete data from a classified database but also manipulate HR processes? Secondly, who has benefited from the lockup of three ruthless criminals – aside from the obvious answers. The three of them must have been targeted for some reason, and it’s not enough to say it is because they were powerful. Somehow the three of them must have presented a threat or an opportunity.”

“Exactly, we need to know who has taken over the operations since their incarceration or if another group has increased their market share after Lin, Rawlings, and Petrov were arrested.”

Scott’s face was grave – they had known about a leak in the CSIS, but it had been comforting to think that breach had been resolved.

Now, Tessa was saying they got the wrong person – or people.

While it was disconcerting to think about the possibility, it would also explain a few slips that had been blamed on technology breakdowns or breaches of protocol since Grainger had been arrested.

“What do you need next – in terms of information to keep investigating?”

Tessa’s face showed surprise, “You believe me? Just like that?”

“Honestly? I’m not sure what to think, but there are too many unanswered questions. We need to resolve this one way or another.”

Tessa watched him cautiously as she answered, "I'm not sure what to do next. That is why I wanted to talk with you. As Kaetlyn already told you, the research side of things seems to be at an impasse."

“We’re going to see where Patrick’s interrogation goes. I asked him to be discreet. I am going to phone in a favor, and we’re going to appear to be a couple that is head over heels in love with one another for the rest of the week.”

Tessa opened her mouth to protest, but the words died on her tongue as Scott gave her a pointed look before continuing, “This plan – whatever it was or is took years to formulate. We are not going to destroy it by running around without purpose. Besides, we can’t reveal how much we already know.”

With this declaration, he moved to the bathroom, a picture of nonchalance, “I’m not sure if our unwelcome visitor is related to this, but for now we need to assume so. I know you think you’ve been careful T, but I am incredibly doubtful that you and Kaetlyn have managed to completely avoid detection – especially if this person is as good as you say.”

A part of her wanted to insist that she could be that good, but Scott was right.

There had definitely been times over the past few months in particular that she felt like someone was watching her.

She had dismissed it as paranoia linked to the stress of their lives, maybe she shouldn’t have been so cavalier.

Joining Scott at the sink, she was once more reminded of the repercussions from day’s events.

They hadn’t been this awkward in each other’s space…ever.

She didn’t even want to think about what it would be like to sleep with him and not be able to reach for him – to deliberately avoid the arms that had been her only constant home for more than a year now.

A sudden worry that he might actually sleep somewhere else caused her to meet his eyes in the mirror, “Scott are you…can we still sleep in the same bed?”

Uncertainty raced across his face before he schooled his features, “Yes. We have a cover to maintain.”

She finished brushing her teeth feeling the sting of tears at the back of her eyes at the detached tone of his voice.

Part of her would rather him be angry with her than indifferent.

Curling around one of her pillows, she felt tears steal down her cheeks.

Surely, she had cried enough for one day?

Scott slipped into bed and the silence seemed to stretch on forever.

His voice finally broke the quiet, “Tessa look at me.”

It wasn’t a question, and he could probably hear her quiet tears so she didn’t bother to hide or protest.

Scott’s eyes looked impossibly dark with only the moonlight for illumination.

When he pushed a hair behind her ear and wiped her tears away with the pad of his thumb she practically melted into his touch.

“Tess…”

Forcing herself back to the present, she met his eyes once more, “I still love you. I just need some space and time to think.”

She couldn’t quite suppress the sob that broke free from her chest at his affirmation.

She knew it was the truth – had been able to see it in his eyes and in the way that he comforted her even when he was angry, but hearing him say it out loud released a little of the tension that had been curled in her stomach since Kaetlyn’s phone call.

He pressed one swift kiss to her forehead before turning away from her – either because he was upset and needed space or perhaps to prevent himself for reaching for her in the night.

As she drifted into troubled dreams and back into wakeful consciousness she wondered if perhaps she should just get up. She was probably keeping Scott awake.

Finally, around five in the morning, as the sun was peaking over the horizon, exhaustion won the battle with her body and she drifted into dreamless slumber.

Scott felt as though someone had beaten him over the head with a hammer.

He was exhausted, his head was pounding, and the source of more than half of his tortured thoughts had finally drifted to sleep.

Tessa hadn’t slept consistently for more than thirty minutes the entire night – always starting awake as if she was escaping a nightmare.

He had been incredibly tempted to just pull her into his arms.

She always slept more peacefully when she curled into his side or chest.

She claimed it was because his heartbeat was so soothing.

Glancing at the coffee in his hands that was doing little toward offsetting the effects of yesterday he wondered if his denial of her was actually just as much a punishment for him.

Slipping into the main living area and deliberately clearing his thoughts, he knew it was time to make the call and cash in a favor.

Scott knew there was a chance that as much as his former…friend/frenemy (if that is a thing), traveled this might be a bad time.

On the third ring, a very American accent boomed on the other end of the line, “Scotty! Oh my gosh it’s been forever. How have you been?”

Scott winced at his least favorite nickname (his mom was the only person allowed to call him that without repercussions).

Still, they couldn’t dwell on the petty issues when there was so much work to be done.

“Chuck, I’m good man. Staying crazy busy you know. How about you?”

Charles White was a retired American Army Ranger. They had served together on more than one joint op.

They were always the top two in anything they did – and Scott almost always edged him out.

There were a few times that Charlie won – and there was that one incident…hence the favor.

Charlie had been talking about his wife and baby for several minutes when he finally paused, “I’m guessing you didn’t just call to catch up. What’s going on Scott?”

Taking a deep breath, Scott did a quick check for bugs and double-checked that his phone line was secure before beginning, “Do you remember that time in Russia?”

He could actually hear the other man’s sharp intake of breath, “That bad huh?”

Scott tried to massage some of the tension from his own neck without much success, “Worse – I don’t even know where to start, but I need someone with access…but less obvious access.”

Four years ago, Charles had retired from the Army and gone to work for the NSA.

The two of them hadn’t always gotten along, but he trusted Charlie to do the right thing on issues like this.

Offering a condensed version of the story after swearing the other man to secrecy, he finally drew to the end, “So I need someone to do a little more digging. If I go looking for information on who approved Grainger’s promotion or any of the other lose ends, alarm bells will sound immediately.”

Charlie’s tone was filled with both incredulity and wonder, “But if the NSA quietly snoops no one will be particularly interested because it’s what we do?”

Scott held his breath, waiting to see if the other man would agree.

“So you and your wife, Tessa right? You two are…”

Scott swallowed down a lump in his throat as he kept his tone light, “We are completely in love with each other…but yes we work together. We make quite the team.”

Several beats of silence lengthened before Charlie sighed, “Fine. I’ll see what I can find. No promises, but I’ll do some checking and let you know. If I do this though no more holding Russia over my head – we’re even.”

Scott fought the urge to laugh for the first time in hours, “Deal – if you do this I’ll call it even…even if I should have won.”

Something close to a harrumph echoed across the line.

“Seriously though Chuck, this is a complicated situation. I have no idea who to trust within CSIS at the moment and these people aren’t messing around. Be careful yeah?”

Ending the conversation with a promise to catch up and introduce their wives, Scott leaned back in his chair, absently scrolling through the messages Patrick had sent.

Their intruder from last night was resolutely refusing to say anything, but personal details were damning.

He was twenty-five, had been born in Florence, Italy, had extensive combat training – but operated more as a gun-for-hire than anything else.

Patrick was going to keep working that angle, but the connection to Italy practically jumped off the page.

Moving to the en suite and turning on the shower, Scott allowed the scalding water to massage some of the tension from his shoulders.

They were going to get through this.

They were going to spend a week spying on Deveroux, note any transactions or associates and then head home.

He would feel safer once he got Tessa back to Montreal.

Virtue Designs had state of the art security – maybe she could just stay in her office until this mess was resolved?

The chances of her agreeing to that were slim…truthfully, they were non-existent, but he could dream.

Resting his head against the smooth marble, he wondered how it could be possible to want to guard and protect someone while also feeling betrayed and angry.

He needed to let her tell him the “why”.

Even if it seemed ludicrous to him, she had spent a year feeling that secrecy was necessary.

He wasn’t prepared for that conversation quite yet, but soon.

* * *

 

Tessa wended her way through the crowd of well-dressed people. Some were tipsy, others were having serious business discussion, others were dancing suggestively.

The latter made her ache in memory of that night so many months ago when Scott first tied her up.

They had been so…vulnerable…so full of trust – the perfectly balanced partnership in every sense of the word.

Now, they were still operating with precision on the professional front.

The success of this current mission proved that they are formidable even when they are falling apart.

CSIS was thrilled, there would be at least seven arrests as a result of their work and Deveroux’s network would be significantly reduced.

Their mission had been a success.

But now, on the last night before their flight home, Tessa felt as though she were coming apart.

Scott still wouldn’t touch her. His eyes would occasionally meet hers in silent laughter about an inside joke, only to be replaced by a grimace of pain as he remembered what she had done.

She wanted him on an emotional level, craving a return to the intimacy and transparency that comes from being fully known – and fully loved.

However, after a week of watching him wear Armani, Tom Ford, Gucci, Ralph Lauren, and dozens of other designer suits she also wanted him on a physical level.

Since they started sleeping together, they had never gone this long without having sex.

Her feelings were conflicted every time she considered what it would be like to have Scott fuck her when he hadn’t forgiven her.

She was having wet dreams about him spanking her ass and asking if she had been a bad girl.

The confusing part of this was that she had been an incredibly bad girl – but she wasn’t quite ready for that role play. It was too close to home.

Still, she had woken to find her folds drenched before practically fleeing their bed and bringing herself to orgasm with a desperate frenzy

Part of her wondered if it would be playing dirty – taking advantage of Scott’s emotional state – if she tried to use her body as a way of reconnecting – or attempting to reconnect with him.

She still hadn’t decided exactly what to do, but she had chosen tonight’s outfit with care…just in case opportunity presented itself.

Finally, she saw Scott across the room.

Tucking herself under his arm she didn’t care if it was taking advantage of the situation to snuggle.

She’d take what she could get at this point – even if it was for show.

If only Scott would actually talk to her.

He had insisted they stick to the “facts only” part of the story and while she wasn’t going to attempt to justify what she had done, she did want a chance to share what had been on her heart – not just her brain.

Scott knew it was time.

Before they boarded an interminable plane ride back to Canada, with a brief layover to meet with Charlie, he needed to talk to Tessa.

He needed to hear her side of the story.

Offering her shoulder a light squeeze he returned to his conversation. Tonight – it would be time for transparency – not just truth.

Tessa debated the wisdom of her choice the minute she moved toward the living area.

Her stunning emerald green gown was once more hanging on the clothes rack.

She left the scrap of lace that counted as underwear in place, removing her bra and slipping Scott’s dress shirt around her.

It practically swallowed her petite frame, but it smelled like him – and he loved it when she wore his clothes.

Wandering to the glass doors that Scott had once more thrown open, Tessa tried for seductive as she called his name.

Scott turned to meet her gaze, his own eyes growing visibly darker as he noted her state of dress.

“What do you want Tess?”

Moving forward, Tessa pulled on his hand, guiding two of his fingers to feel her soaked core, “I want you. Please? I know you’re still angry, but I’ve missed you.”

Scott lightly stroked over her clit once before pulling away, prompting Tessa to whimper softly.

Moving to stand at a less tempting distance was incredibly difficult.

Knowing that she was in such a state because she wanted him was alluring, but they needed to talk – not fuck casually as if their future, national security and actual lives were not in the balance.

Drawing a shuddering breath, he crossed his arms across his chest.

“Why?”

Tessa’s look was incredulous, “Really? You want to have this conversation now? I’ve been wanting to share all week and you wait until I am literally dripping down the side of my thighs with want to decide we should talk?”

His cock sprang to life, interest clearly piqued by Tessa’s word picture, but he focused on his breathing, “Yes. Why did you do it?”

Crossing her hands across her chest Tessa is vaguely aware of the fact that she is not appropriately dressed for such a conversation.

Surely a full suit of armor would be more appropriate than Scott’s shirt and soaked underwear?

"When you told me to drop the issue I was...a little hurt. You seemed so dismissive of the notion that there might be more to the situation than was immediately apparent."

Scott's eyes betrayed surprise at this statement, but he motioned for her to continue.

"When Kaetlyn said there might be a tentative connection to Italy I wanted nothing more than to tell you my suspicions and uncertainties, but I didn't want to give you wrong information. I almost dropped the issue so many times. I hit dead-end after dead-end."

Studying the moonlight dancing over the ocean, she tried to choose her next words carefully, "Once I actually started making progress, I wanted to tell you - so badly, but I kept talking myself out of it. By this point I was so far into my lie I didn't know how to tell you the truth. I knew it would hurt you so much."

She steadied her breathing to avoid any tears spilling out of her eyes, "I was scared - at first scared that I was wrong, and then scared of the liminal space I had created, and finally scared to tell you the truth knowing how betrayed you would feel."

Scott's face was unreadable, but she forced herself to hold his gaze, "I know it's not enough. I know I screwed up so badly. I didn't realize how serious all of this was, but I am so incredibly sorry Scott. I never meant to hurt you, and I truly planned to tell you everything after this trip. I was tired of the secrets."

He finally moved to stand before her, hesitation clearly written on his gaze, "I'm sorry too."

Tessa felt something like panic claw at her chest, if he said something about not being able to forgive her she didn't know what she would do.

She could practically feel the misery written on her face when Scott reached out to loosely twine their fingers together, "I told you that I'd believe you no matter what. I failed first."

This was the last thing Tessa expected from him as she shook her head, "No Scott, you didn't fail. God, if anything you gave me dozens of opportunities to come clean. You were so attentive, so concerned, you kept asking if something was wrong and I just kept denying the truth. You don't have anything to apologize for."

"I know your choices were your own, but I am sorry I made you feel invalidated by my words. I'll try to be more careful in the future."

He pressed a kiss to her cheek before moving back towards the house.

Tessa stood on the patio in uncertainty, but Scott paused at the threshold, "Come on T, let's go to bed."

She can't decide if she's still horny or if she's just exhausted, but meeting Scott's gaze, she knows it won't be tonight.

They made progress, but he's not ready for that level of intimacy quite yet...soon hopefully.

Laying in bed, Tessa knows sleep is ages away.

She hasn't really slept well all week.

Still, Scott's hand once more reaching for hers and gently tugging until her head is resting on his chest is enough to cause a few tears to leak from her eyes.

He must have felt them splash against his skin because he tilted her head back before brushing her lips - it's the first time he's kissed her in a week without an audience to impress.

It feels like oxygen is being pumped back into her lungs as she sighs into the contact.

Scott pulled away and Tessa wants to object to the loss of contact, but then he breathes four words into the space between them that she has longed for, "I forgive you T."

Clinging to him as she falls asleep, eyelashes still damp from tears of joy and happiness, she practically burrows into his embrace.

If this mess had taught her anything it was that she loved him with an irrevocable finality that meant there would never be anyone else and despite uncertainty, danger, and heartache, his arms feel like home.

There are still a number of bridges to repair - including a quick return (hopefully) to physical intimacy - but for tonight, this was more than enough.

 


	16. The Bridge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I reworked this chapter several times so it hasn't been edited extensively. I'll probably revisit it tomorrow morning. I was planning for the end of this chapter to be in tomorrow's update, but I wanted to share it with you tonight :) We're getting close to the end...probably 3-4 more chapters depending on how long I make them.

Tessa watched Scott from the corner of her eye.

He was busily engrossed in a security analysis for a Fortune 500 company.

She, on the other hand, had read the same paragraph three times and still didn’t know what it said.

They were stopping in Maryland to meet Charlie and his wife Tanith.

She wasn’t sure if that man had actually uncovered anything, but they were using the excuse of his friendship with Scott to talk in person.

Tapped phone lines and the threat of surveillance was making Scott paranoid…or realistic depending on how you viewed it.

Within an hour of meeting her, Tessa decided that Tanith was genuinely sweet. 

Little Charlie had immediately concluded that Scott looked like the perfect jungle gym.

Watching her husband play with him was having a strange effect on her ovaries – or maybe her brain.

All logic and practicality was being overridden with the desire to pull him into a closet and fuck him breathless so they could also have a little miniature human – a living evidence of their love.

She was half-way to naming their first son when Scott’s voice broke through her reverie, “What’d you find Chuck?”

Charles’ face was grim, “Well nothing particularly promising. I confirmed all of the information you sent. I also found the hiring manager that supposedly retired to the Virgin Islands.”

Tessa could actually feel her excitement build.

This was a lead that could potentially solve a huge piece of the puzzle, but Charlie’s next sentence dashed that hope, “He died, very unexpectedly in his sleep three years ago.”

Dread curled a finger around her heart. Everyone who presented a threat to this mystery person died.

There was a ruthless precision to their behavior that was frightening to consider.

Charlie offered a few other insights before hesitating, “I don’t want to speak out of turn, and I’m sure you have already fully considered this but…”

Scott glanced at Tessa who was now holding the sleeping toddler.

Despite the danger of their situation, the sight of his wife holding a baby was doing strange things to his brain.

Refocusing his gaze, he nodded at Charlie, “Go on – even if we’ve thought of it, there’s no harm in saying it again.”

“The person behind all of this has to be incredibly well connected and well protected. I went a little deeper than was perhaps advisable on our end with the NSA and kept running into dead ends. When you find them…you’re going to need an airtight case to prosecute. You’re going to rock the Canadian security world…just be sure you understand what you’re getting yourself into.”

Later that afternoon, watching Tessa absently stare out the window Scott couldn’t help but remember the sight of her holding Charlie.

It was a picture that he wanted repeated, except with their own children.

Of course that would require that they reconnect physically.

She had practically propositioned him the night before.

She clearly wanted him, and he wanted her – it was impossible for him to _not_ want Tessa.

Somewhere in the past year, desire and attraction had woven their way into his heart, but betrayal was also there.

Granted, they could fuck before they resolved what was going on between them…angry sex was absolutely something people did.

Still, this felt different, charged somehow with the weight of everything they hadn’t said.

He needed to let her back in – to find a way to reconnect…and soon.

She was clearly sorry. He told her he forgave her, and he had...it was just the final step.

* * *

 

Tessa arrived home to a darkened house.

Scott’s car was parked in the garage, but he was nowhere to be seen.

Remembering the level of danger they were now living with, she proceeded up the stairs with caution.

He had insisted on bringing her dinner about three hours ago at the office, but that was the last she had seen of him.

Still, her heart calmed a measure when she saw the glow coming from their bedroom while soft music played.

Pushing the door open, she felt her breath catch at the sight of Scott.

He was facing away from her, lighting a candle – the room was filled with them.

He was in low-slung pajama bottoms, quietly humming along to whatever song was playing.

Clearing her throat lightly, she tried to focus on the moment and not assume that this meant what she thought it meant.

Maybe Scott just wanted to light candles?

Still, as she took in the flowers, chocolate, and incredibly long strips of silky rope laying across the end of their bed she felt fully justified in hoping he was ready – that he remembered how amazing they could be together…in every sense of the word.

Turning at her cough, he suppressed the nerves that were threatening to overwhelm him.

It was just them.

Setting the lighter aside, Scott moved to stand in front of Tessa, taking her bag and the shoes she still held in her hand.

Her eyes were an adorable mix of hope and uncertainty.

Part of him wanted to abandon his plans in favor of pulling her into bed, but he wanted tonight to be about reconnecting – not just sex.

Before his cock could get too distracted by the possibility, Scott pulled her toward the center of the room.

He had arranged several of their floor length mirrors in a sort of semi-circle.

Tessa was dying to ask what this was about, but Scott still hadn’t said anything, and she was afraid to break the spell.

When he moved into the circle of mirrors, a shiver raced over her fame as she considered what his plans might include.

She knew her eyes were begging, but it was worth it when Scott fit his mouth over hers, tangling their tongues in languid strokes.

When he pulled away, Tessa couldn’t quite suppress her whimper of protest, “Scott what are you doing?”

He gently stroked over her cheek, “There was something I wanted to try before…before everything happened. I think I’d like to try it tonight.”

She would have agreed to anything at this point, if it ended with his cock inside of her, “Anything you want.”

He stepped back, retrieving one of the ropes. It had to be at least twenty feet long, she couldn’t imagine what he had planned.

As if sensing her question, he answered, “It’s a form of shibari. Some of the customs involve suspended or tight bondage, but I don’t want to do that tonight. I want to try the artistic form – it creates beautiful shapes and colors against the skin.”

This sounded interesting, but also a little unusual as a request coming from Scott.

They both enjoyed light bondage, but artistic patterns weren’t really Scott’s style.

Maybe he just wanted to try something different?

Nodding in agreement she asked, “What do I need to do?”

He placed a hand on her arm, “I’m not done. For each knot, each twist…I get to ask a question and you have to answer.”

Tessa fought the urge to cross her arms over her chest.

Scott was attempting to reconnect.

He was asking for vulnerability – that was going to be the price of tonight.

On some levels, it would be easier to make it purely about sex, but that wouldn’t have been intimacy.

That wouldn’t solve what was really wrong with them.

Swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat she whispered, “Ok…we can do that…will you answer the questions too?”

His hazel eyes met her green ones, exchanging an entire conversation without uttering a word before he nodded, “Yes.”

She fought nausea and arousal – it was a strange combination.

“So I should undress?”

Scott watched Tessa carefully, trying to gauge her response, “Only as much as you want. I don’t want you to be cold.”

Under normal circumstances, he would have wanted to undress her, but tonight he was giving her a choice – she could be as vulnerable as _she_ chose.

Slowly removing her shirt, she kept her back to Scott.

The moment was too…too intimate.

Sliding her skirt down her legs, she paused, contemplating if she wanted to remove her bra and panties.

She had no frame of reference for how long this would take, and a part of her wanted to hide…just a little, but she also wanted restoration…

Taking a steadying breath, she unclasped her bra and slid her panties off before turning back to Scott, “Where do you want me?”

He extended his hand, “Here.”

Tessa didn’t bother suppressing the shiver that ran over her frame when Scott traced over her waist.

The smooth green rope raised goosebumps in its wake…or maybe it was Scott’s touch, lingering as it had not for what felt like an eternity.

As he began the actual binding process, he asked his first question, “Tell me a secret?”

Steadying her voice, she answered, “I never feel safer than when I’m in your arms…I’ve never told you how comforting you are. It’s like nothing can harm me.”

He was avoiding her gaze, but his hands were steady, “My favorite thing in the entire world is waking up before you. I love watching you when you’re fully at peace. I love the way the sunlight kisses your hair, as if it’s thrilled to wake up with you as well. And the first moment your eyes open – it’s like the day actually starts.”

They’ve barely started, but Tessa can already feel the tears threatening to spill over.

This is going to be harder than she thought.

When Scott began winding the rope to frame her right breast, he grazed over her nipple, sending heat straight to her clit.

She is already so wet.

“Tell me one of your dreams?”

It would be easy to keep this generic, safe, but that’s not what she wants in return, “When we’re done with CSIS, I want to step away from Virtue Designs. I don’t want to stop researching – I think my brain might explode if I did that, but I want to be more involved in my foundation. I want to inspire and teach the next generation of kids – especially young girls…and I want to raise a family with you.”

He paused in his work before reciprocating, “I want to live in a world where we’re not looking over our shoulders. I want a home with a huge backyard, three kids, and I want to share it with the most incredible woman I’ve ever met.”

A tear actually did slip down her cheek at this declaration, but Scott quickly wiped it away, “What’s your biggest fear?”

This one was easy after the past few weeks, “Losing you – literally or emotionally. I don’t know if I could survive that. The past two weeks have felt like torture.”

Scott dropped am easy kiss onto her shoulder, “I’m sorry I wasn’t faster.”

Tessa shook her head, “No – you had every right to take as long as you needed.”

Scott’s look was skeptical, but he decided not to argue, “My fear would be the same…you’re like an extension of me now. I didn’t even know it was possible to love someone this much.”

He moved to her left breast, brushing over her nipple with more intention. His hands were tracing over every inch of her...setting her on fire and soothing her aching heart by turns.

She can actually feel her juices beginning to leak from her cunt.

By the end of the night, she was going to be a writhing mess.

“What’s one thing that gives you hope?”

This one was harder, “Possibility – the infinite opportunities, hopes, dreams, fulfillment, love, and work wrapped up in that word. The sheer…unbounded nature precludes human limitations.”

Scott suppressed a smile at her enthusiasm before answering, “Choice – to love, to commit, to share, to teach, to stand fast…we may not be able to control our future – but we can be damn well sure to fight for it.”

He moved to her stomach.

Tessa knew her breathing was irregular by this point and she couldn’t quite suppress the soft moan that escaped her when he pulled ever so slightly on her bellybutton piercing.

There was an almost predatory glint in his eyes, “A place you’ve never been that you’d like to visit?”

She couldn’t control the tremble in her tone, but she didn’t have to – he wanted honesty, “We’ve traveled so much, I’m not sure. Maybe Norway or Iceland. The fjords are stunning…and it’s cold so we could snuggle all day.”

He ran a hand up her spine, grinning at the way she shuddered under his touch, “I want us to tour the Loire Valley. We’ve both been to France dozens of times, but we’ve never done anything like that. I want to wander in and out of old castles, get lost in the woods…make love under the stars.”

She doesn’t bother suppressing the whine that escapes her at this last declaration, “Scott please…I want you so badly.”

He wrapped her in his arms from behind, sucking a mark into her neck before continuing, “A few more, “What's your greatest insecurity?”

Dropping her gaze to the floor she mumbled her answer under her breath, only to have Scott capture her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze, “Say it again…please?”

Closing her eyes, she whisperd, “That I won’t be enough…that one day people will realize that I’m not quite brilliant enough, dazzling enough, worthy enough.”

Scott cupped her jaw until she met his gaze, “Tessa Jane Virtue-Moir – you are definitely _not_ enough.”

Tessa felt her heart clench. She couldn’t believe Scott would be so cruel – maybe he was just being honest?

“T – look at me.”

She couldn’t get rid of the tears swimming in her eyes, but she still complied.

His smile was like the first rays of dawn, “You exceed every the very definition of the word enough – you are so far beyond “enough” that it overwhelms me most days and I will remind you of that fact until we are old and gray.”

A sob broke free as Scott lightly kissed her tears away.

Something resembling a grimace stole across his face before he offered, “I worry that if I keep going, one day I won’t even know who I am. I’ll have dozens of personas – but no real identity.”

She leaned up to kiss his cheek, “I know who you are…I’ve see your soul because you shared it with me with such brave clarity. If you really forget…I’ll be there to remind you.”

Scott had formed a crisscross pattern over her stomach while they were talking.

She was trembling all over by this point, and the evidence of her arousal was trailing down her legs.

She was fully prepared to beg if he didn’t do something soon, but he moved lower, using the final portion of the rope to twist around her lower stomach, ass, and thighs.

Her hips bucked upward in search of the friction they knew his hand could provide.

When he lightly flicked her clit she actually groaned, “Scott…”

He placed a steadying hand on her hip, “One more. Favorite nickname?”

He had given her dozens of nicknames, from sweet to ridiculous over the past year, but she knew her favorite, “T – I like it when you call me by just that letter. You’re the only one who uses it and there’s never any doubt about who you mean. Everything else is just…excess.”

She wasn’t prepared for Scott to slip a finger between her folds, but her inner walls instantly clenched around him in desperation.

“For someone who loves to give nicknames, you know I don’t like them applied to me. Yet I love the way you say my name. I can’t explain it, but it sounds different coming from you – almost like it belongs to you and you’re just letting me borrow it.”

He applied the lightest of pressure to her clit, having finished his twists and knots.

For all practical purposes, she was wearing an intricate silken corset of his own design.

It would have been easy to bind her hands, but he had left them free, so she reached out to card her fingers through his hair.

Lifting her lips for a kiss, he obliged, once more tangling their tongues together, but this time there was nothing languid about the battle.

Tessa felt as though sparks were flying through her body, and the throbbing between her legs was verging on painful.

When they broke apart for breath, Scott asked his final question, “What do you want T?”

Meeting his hazel eyes, she searched for uncertainty or hurt, but found none, “I want you – I want us.”

Carrying her to the bed, he finally stripped out of his pajama pants.

When he slipped two fingers into her, she captured his wrist, “No, I want you inside of me…please Scott. I am more than ready.”

His eyes searched hers for a moment as she fought to keep her expression open – to let him see her soul in the way he had given her his.

He must have found what he was looking for because he finally lined them up and pushed into her.

Tessa felt like a piece of her was slotting back into place when Scott sheathed himself inside of her.

Her tears were falling liberally and Scott stilled above her in concern, “Am I hurting you babe, should I pull out?”

Gripping his shoulders, something akin to panic raced through her at the thought of losing him, “No, I’m just…you felt so far away and I thought I had messed us up – maybe forever. I’m just so…happy and…complete?”

As Scott actually begins to thrust in and out of her, she can tell she’s not going to last long.

She’s already too worked up, and if she had to guess he is as well, but that’s ok – they have all night.

When stars finally stop bursting across her eyes and Scott’s release coats her walls, she meets his eyes and amends her assessment.

They don’t just have tonight – they have forever.


	17. The Experiment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some thoughts on this chapter. There is some testing done on prisoners in this chapter. None of the testing is invasive and it is all strictly voluntary. I am fully aware that there is a terrible history of experimentation on prisoners and I do not want to be insensitive to that issue...but I did need a plot opportunity to interrogate Lin, Rawlings, and Petrov. This chapter also has a spanking scene. I know that's not everyone's thing so feel free to skip that section. It is pretty apparent where it starts, and the line break indicates where it ends. I had already mentioned in an earlier chapter that the two of them experimented with impact play...and well...here we are. Enjoy :)

Scott wandered into Tessa’s office with a frown on his face, “T, we’re not going to make any further progress on this end. I’ve exhausted every option aside from running a direct inquiry through CSIS.”

Tessa motioned him over to her side, “What kind of information would be helpful?”

Scott pulled her into is lap, “If we could talk to Rawlings, Petrov, and Lin I think we could make some progress – or at least eliminate some options.”

Her heart beat a little faster at this declaration; she might have a solution.

Still, to avoid any confusion, she asked, “You think that interviewing them would be helpful?”

Scott pressed a kiss to her shoulder, “Yeah, they obviously don’t know who they were working with. Hence the debacle in London. However, I think we could put together a great deal based on their collective answers – and what we already know.”

“I think I have an answer, but I’m not sure if you’re going to like it.”

Scott’s eyes met hers somewhat ruefully, “How much am I not going to like it?”

Tessa pulled out her phone, looking somewhere between apologetic and triumphant as she dialed a phone number. “Uncle Max? Hi, this is Tessa. I just wanted to let you know I’ll accept your offer on that study. Yes, I’m terribly excited as well. Hmm? Oh I’ll start wherever you like. Yes.”

Scott was more than a little confused, “Who is Uncle Max?”

“Maxwell Keller, the Minister of National Defense. He called with such a unique offer yesterday…apparently someone suggested a research study on the psychology of violent criminals in comparison to criminals whose crimes are more centered on intelligence or leadership.”

Scott had a pretty good idea of where this was headed and he was both concerned and excited by the prospect.

Tessa was continuing her explanation, “The researchers will be looking for new ways to profile these more...sophisticated criminals at a younger age…hopefully before they get out of hand. The scientists will be utilizing state of the art brain imaging to determine truth and falsehood – more than ninety five percent more accurate than a polygraph machine. Of course they will also be doing extensive interviews – it will be very thorough.”

Scott wasn’t sure if he wanted to laugh or worry.

They were treading into dangerous waters. Whoever was behind this operation didn’t have a scapegoat handy this time.

The chances of their encounter becoming violent was much higher – there was more to lose.

Ignoring those feelings of trepidation, he inquired, “I wonder who pitched that idea to him?”

Tessa’s look was innocent enough to inspire confidence. “I believe it was Dr. Menard and Dr. Dubreuil. They have both studied the psychology of prisoners before, and doubtless thought it was time for a more comprehensive evaluation with the latest technology.”

“And who pitched the idea to the two of them?”

Tessa’s gaze was still wide eyed innocence. “Marie and I were having a discussion about the new imaging capabilities a few months ago. We may have also discussed the applications it could have in prison populations, but I certainly didn’t pitch a study to either of them.”

Scott’s look was pointed, so she amended, “I merely pointed out the knowledge that could be gained from such specific measurements.”

She met his eyes, and matched the seriousness of his gaze, “I know this could be dangerous. That is why I didn’t directly present the idea to Keller. I think we need some distance…plausible deniability?”

Scott hummed in assent, clearly still not enthusiastic about the idea.

Tessa ran her fingers through his hair, “We are beginning our research at the super-max facility where our three friends are incarcerated.”

Scott’s hand squeezed her hip a little more possessively, “At Millhaven?”

Tessa nodded, “I knew that, statistically speaking, the chances were high that I would be asked to consult on the study. I also know this is risky. That’s why I wanted Keller on our side.”

Scott laughed a little, “How is one of the most powerful men in Canada your Uncle? I’m pretty sure I would have remembered that connection.”

Resting her head against his shoulder, she began tracing his fingers, “He and Dad were best friends growing up. He was always Uncle Max – I don’t think I made the connection until I was much older.”

Scott absently traced patterns over his wife’s arm, “It seems a little odd for him to take an interest in an individual prison study.”

Tessa blushed a little at this statement, “JF is also a good friend of Keller’s. I knew the odds were strongly in favor of JF presenting his funding proposal directly to that man. I also knew that having Keller on our side would be a good safety precaution. It’s harder to shut down a study backed directly by the Minister of National Defense.”

Scott frowned and Tessa felt herself rushing to explain, “I’m trying not to just jump in too quickly. I wasn’t even going to agree to this study because I thought you’d say no…but then you said we needed to talk to them, and…”

Scott’s eyebrows winged upward, “I didn’t exactly agree to this you know – you just made the phone call.”

Thinking back on the past thirty minutes Tessa felt a flush of embarrassment steal over her, “I’m sorry…I just…you said we needed to talk to them and…”

Scott pressed a kiss to her temple, “I’m not mad. You’re right – there’s not really another way to get the information we need. Still, I’m coming with you.”

Tessa’s look was dubious, “I’d love to have you baby, but I’m not sure they’ll let you into the facility. I think…”

He stroked the back of her hand, “I know. Even if I can’t go into Millhaven with you I’m still coming to Bath. I’m not letting you out of my sight longer than I have to.”

 Snuggling into his embrace, she felt some of the tension ease from her shoulders, “Good…I like having you with me.”

“When do we leave?”

Pressing a kiss to his pulse point, she whispered, “Two weeks.”

Scott felt his cock twitch at the contact, “Well…that gives us some time…what in the world will we do between now and then?”

She considered for a moment.

They had been so much better since they reconnected a few weeks ago, but she wasn’t sure if he was quite ready for what she wanted…hell…she wasn’t sure if she was ready.

Regardless, her mouth ran ahead of her brain as she answered, “Well…I’ve been a bad girl…”

Scott’s eyes darkened, but his expression was a mixture of incredulity and arousal, “Really? Are you sure about that?”

He was checking in – making sure that this is what she wanted…really what she wanted.

Making a quick decision, Tessa cast her gaze down to the floor, “Yes sir…I’m sorry.”

Scott felt conflicted.

Never in a million years would he have considered actually punishing her for what had happened.

If they did this, he would have to divorce the reality of what had just happened from the scenario they were enacting.

Both of them loved this game – when she abandoned agency to him.

Role-play and spanking were Tessa’s top two turn-ons (his were being blindfolded and praised – but that was an unrelated note for now).

Their sex life was colorful, but they deliberately took turns bringing each other pleasure.

Still, what she was asking for – actively asking for felt a little raw, but they had made up…several times.

They had been insatiable since that night a few weeks ago.

Refocusing on his wife’s green eyes, which were now hooded with both uncertainty and arousal, he made his decision.

If she wanted this…he wanted this.

Tessa could see a world of emotions play across Scott’s face.

She reached up to trace over his ear and assure him they could wait when she felt the change in him.

His hazel eyes were laced with desire as he asked, “Safe word?”

She stole a kiss before answering, “Silver.”

He squared his shoulders and captured her chin between his fingers, “Well, that is unfortunate Tessa. What did you do?”

She gave momentary thought to using the real-life mess of the past several weeks, but she could tell Scott wasn’t quite ready for that.

He was going to give her what she wanted, but she could make it easier on him.

“I touched myself this morning. I made myself come and I didn’t tell you.”

Technically, this wasn’t against any set relationship rules.

Granted, Scott liked being the cause of her orgasms, but he wasn’t controlling about it.

Still, there was an understanding that if they got themselves off, they would tell one another – and then they had to give the other person an orgasm in recompense.

Still, she knew she had made the right decision when Scott practically sighed in relief that she had chosen this scenario – and not the clusterfuck of a mess they were still working through.

“I’m sorry to hear that Tessa...what happens to bad girls?”

She felt a shudder race over her frame as he whispered that question with quiet authority.

Looking at him through her eyelashes, she murmured, “They get punished.”

Scott lightly tapped her ass, “Stand up.”

Moving to obey she waited for his next instructions.

He walked to her desk, moving some of the most dangerous experiments out of the way.

Turning back to her, he beckoned her over.

A small part of her brain would always wonder why she liked this…but after more than a year of validation and exploration with Scott, she didn’t bother suppressing the fact that she did.

Pausing in front of him, she licked her lips at the bulge that was already tenting his jeans.

She sincerely hoped that part of his plan involved bending her over the desk and fucking her until she ached tomorrow.

He crossed his arms over his chest, accentuating his biceps, “Strip.”

Moving to comply she wanted to protest that he is still fully clothed, but he’s in charge.

This is his turn.

Standing before him completely bare she can feel the wetness pooling between her legs.

Pulling her into his arms, Scott squeezed her ass, “Since you were a good girl and confessed what you did, I’ll let you pick how many.”

Most of the time Scott chose how many strikes he would land on her ass – claiming that he liked to keep her guessing.

Other times he made her choose – a sort of self-inflicted sentence.

Gauging her body’s current state before answering, she replied, “Twenty?”

Stepping back, he nodded in agreement, “Bend over and brace against the desk.”

Gripping the edge of her desk, she can’t help but question the wisdom of this.

The last time they fucked in her office she had been a distracted mess for weeks – constantly remembering the three orgasms he had given her.

Her rambling thoughts are jolted back to the present when Scott’s hand comes down in a slap on her bare ass.

It wasn’t particularly painful. The first few strikes were almost always designed to warm her skin up for the harsher contact that would follow.

A second slap echoed in the room as a soft moan escaped her lips.

Three more quick strikes land in quick succession before one of Scott’s fingers dipped into her soaked cunt, “You’re so fucking wet…I can feel how much this turns you on.”

She can hear herself whimper when he removed his fingers, and counts out five precisely timed slaps, “Half-way there baby…your ass is such a pretty color you know, but it can get redder.”

Three more strikes echo and she spares a thought to hope that no one is passing her office door because her wanton moans are literally echoing off the walls.

Maybe this shouldn’t turn her on so much, but the throbbing of her clit is an incessant reminder that it does.

After delivering two more slaps, that are harsher than what had come before, Scott thrust two fingers into her wet heat, stroking across her g-spot with practiced ease.

When he actually grazes over her clit, she can’t suppress the plea that falls from her, “Please Sco…Sir…I’m being such as good girl…I’m learning my lesson so well…please don’t tease?”

Something close to a keening wail broke from her when he used his left hand to rub her clit between his index finger and thumb while delivering the final five harsh slaps to her ass.

The stimulation is almost too much as her back arched at an impossible angle.

Pulling her upright, he rubbed his hands over her ass in soothing strokes to lessen the sting, “You did so well baby…”

Lifting her face, Tessa silently asked for a kiss.

Scott obliged almost immediately, tangling their tongues together.

Pulling away breathless, she whispered, “Please…I want you so badly.”

Normally, this request would have been met with a predatory glint and a refusal to surrender.

Scott would sometimes drag these sessions out for hours with her loving every minute of it…or at least loving the result.

Still, she knew there was an undercurrent of vulnerability in her tonight that was unexpected to her, and clearly visible to Scott.

His hazel eyes searched hers for a moment before his gaze softened ever so slightly, “Yeah…I think you’ve learned your lesson for tonight.”

Instead of spinning her back around to bend over the desk, Scott picked her up, sitting her on top before quickly stripping out of his clothes.

Her ass stung, sitting like this, but she wants to see him – needs the connection of his gaze to keep her grounded so she’ll live with a sore bottom.

Sliding her to the edge of the desk, he easily slipped two fingers into her throbbing heat, “I want to watch you come.”

Tangling her fingers in his hair, she whimpered into his mouth when he added a third finger, “Please…I need more.”

Pulling her forward until his hips were the only real thing keeping her on the desk, he finally slid into her, “Fuck T you’re so tight. You feel so good babe.”

Reclaiming his lips, she was practically mewling in pleasure.

She needed just a little more, “Scott…touch me?”

One of his hands immediately moved to flick her clit, “Let go baby...come for me T.”

Throwing her head back as waves of pleasure flood her body, she finally floated back to earth to feel Scott’s release leaking from her even as he bracketed her body in an attempt not to crush her after his own orgasm.

Pulling out gently, he took her hand to head for her private en suite that was attached to her office.

Slipping into the shower to clean up, he tugged on her chin until she met his gaze, “Are you ok? Did I hurt you?”

Tessa immediately shook her head, “No, God Scott – you were perfect. You did just what I asked for…I just…it was just a lot at once. I’m sorry I broke the role-play.”

 Wrapping her in his arms, he pressed a kiss to temple, “Never apologize for what you need in the moment. We have the rest of our lives to do whatever we want.”

“To give and receive pleasure?”

He had to smile as she echoed his words from the night they first tried light bondage.

That had become their measuring point and it had resulted in a physical relationship most would envy.

“Yeah…both.”

Tessa was practically falling asleep while standing, so he gingerly maneuvered her out of the shower before making a quick decision, “T, I think we should just stay here tonight. Use the bedroom attached to your office?”

Burrowing into his chest, Tessa readily agreed, “Yeah...bed…any bed sounds heavenly.”

She opened her mouth to protest when he didn’t immediately join her under the covers, but when he began rubbing cream over her slightly sore ass, she practically melted into the mattress.

Recapping the lotion and wrapping his wife in his arms it seemed almost abstract to think their lives were in danger.

It was unfair that someone's selfish greed was endangering everything they had worked so hard for.

Slipping into dreams, he could only hope that they would have more answers in two weeks than they currently possessed.

* * *

 

Scott dropped Tessa off at Millhaven, anxiety coursing through both of them.

He pressed a lingering kiss to her lips before she vanished inside one of the most secure facilities in Canada.

She would be with trusted colleagues.

On some levels, she might be safer inside than she was walking down the street, but he was with her walking down the street – he couldn’t protect her in a place that he couldn’t even enter.

The next few weeks were going to be a test of his patience and endurance.

Tessa could feel trepidation course through her veins as she followed the guard down a maze of hallways and into the medical wing.

Yet excitement was also present.

After these interviews, they would be one-step closer to finding the truth.

Marie and JF both met her in the main hospital lobby.

Marie folded her into a tight hug, “Tessa darling, it is so good to see you! Max sounded like a schoolboy when he called to tell me you had agreed to consult on this study. I couldn’t have been more delighted.”

JF offered a slightly less effervescent, but still warm embrace, “Your expertise is just what we need. I can’t imagine the strides we will make in mapping the neurosis of a criminal’s mind.”

Trailing into the lab facilities, Marie continued, “Keller is already talking about following this up with studies of “normal” people for comparison. The possibilities are endless. The only drawback is that we have to move all the equipment to the prisons to conduct the tests.”

JF began turning on the equipment, “Yes, we can’t take the world’s worst criminals and simply transport them down the road to a laboratory. Still, I think we have everything we need.”

Tessa reviewed the monitors before picking up the list of questions the researchers had developed.

She needed a few additional pieces of information for their purposes, “I’d like to add one or two questions. Is that alright?”

Marie was reviewing a profile and waved her hand in dismissal, “Darling whatever you want – change away – as long as you ask each prisoner the same general questions it doesn’t matter. We trust your judgment completely.”

Tessa finalized her questions, and tried to calm her racing heart.

Not thirty minutes later, everything was ready and they brought in the first prisoner.

She recognized Rawlings.

His three-piece suit had been exchanged for prison gear and a more haggard appearance, but she would have known him anywhere.

The attendants helped him slide into the scanner.

A few lab assistants attached various diodes to monitor his heart rate and other vital signs.

As a last precaution, one of the guards zip cuffed his hands together before removing the shackles – the metal would interfere with their readings.

Rawlings maintained an almost bored aspect through this process, although he did manage an ironic smile when the guard switched the metal cuffs for plastic zip ties.

If he was going to escape this was not the time to do it.

They were in the deepest level of the facility – the amount of security he would have to get through was overwhelming.

Tessa had to smile a little bit as well.

The only reason these men were participating in the trial was because they had iron clad plea deals, and confidentiality laws protected anything they said.

Picking up the microphone she began, “Mr. Rawlings, I am going to start the machine, and once we get a clear picture I will begin asking you questions. We will start with some simple ones and progress from there. To ensure clear readings we need you to be still, however if at any time you need something let us know.”

The man practically yawned at this information, but Tessa was undeterred.

As the machine began circling she asked the first question. “Please state your full name for the record…”

The questions progressed from there with every inquiry from “Do you believe in Santa Claus?” to, “At any time during you alleged criminal activity did you feel guilt or a sense of shame related to your actions?”

Almost every question had follow up queries.

Finally, Tessa got to the questions she had added, the ones she really wanted the answers to, “Mr. Rawlings, did you ever feel that people were spying on you?”

“Yes, often.”

“Did this sensation increase at any time?”

“As I became more powerful, but especially in the last few years of my time on the outside.”

“Did you find any evidence of this surveillance?”

“Planted bugs were more frequent. We began sweeping several times a day. There were also men who attempted to join my organization that were nothing more than spies. They didn’t get very far.”

Tessa wondered how wise it was to ask this next question. “Did you take any precautions once you realized you were being spied on?”

“Additional security, and several…investments with people who were supposedly connected and knew what was going on – apparently that was my mistake.”

“Do you mean you believe you were sold out?”

“Yes.”

The screen in front of her had consistently lit with green.

Every statement he had uttered had been truth – or at least what he believed to be truth.

“Was there a particular person, company, or country that housed these investments?”

“France.”

The screen lit red, he had uttered his first lie.

“Sorry Mr. Rawlings, wrong answer. Would you like to try again?”

The man paused, considering his options.

After all, they couldn’t make him answer the question.

Apparently he decided he didn’t have much to lose, “Italy. The investments were mainly centered in Italy.”

Tessa felt herself breathe again.

“Anywhere else?”

Rawlings paused once more, “I also had a contact within the Canadian Government.”

Forcing her voice into a calm she did not feel, she asked, “A man or woman?”

“A man.”

“Something you verified or an instinctual?”

Rawlings looked almost offended, “Verified – as much as possible. I spoke with him once on the phone.”

Tessa was dying to ask what they discussed, but that was not part of the experiment.

A few questions later, she had the data she needed – or at least as much as she could legitimately gather.

“Thank you Mr. Rawlings, we have everything we need. The technicians will take a few samples as we discussed in our study agreement and then you will be escorted back to your cell.”

The man waited until the lab techs entered the room and moved the machine before sitting up. He still wore the same expression of boredom.

Tessa wondered if he would feel quite as tranquil if he knew the woman who had just been interrogating him was also the one responsible for his incarceration.

JF gave her a hug. “That was brilliant! The way you manipulated the questions so that he would have to answer in a way that we could get a reading. And some of those last questions – can you imagine the data we will be able to mine, the psychology of breaking the law and how it affects feelings of paranoia and delusion?”

He pulled out his phone to call Keller and update him.

Tessa refocused her mind.

They were bringing another man in.

She felt a moment of disappointment when she realized it wasn’t Lin or Petrov, still they had time – they needed time.

Several hours later, it was approaching four o’clock.

They only had time for one more interview.

Petrov had been brought in already, but Lin hadn’t.

Tessa turned to Marie. “Can we bring prisoner 001934721 in next? I am familiar with his case and I would like to hear and see his answers in person – you know in case I can’t be here every day and you need to send me the data.”

After a short delay, they brought Lin through the door.

Petrov’s face had betrayed anger.

Lin’s was sullen, but also curious.

He clearly was interested in the scientific process that was about to unfold.

The man’s answers varied, but the basic tenants were the same as the two previous men and all of them had admitted there was a connection to Italy and the Canadian Government.

Walking out of the facility that night, she smiled at the sight of Scott waiting in the car.

Pulling out her phone, she powered the device back on.

Cell service was cut off inside the prison.

She had missed multiple texts, e-mails and a few phone calls.

She was debating who to respond to first.

She finally settled on her sister but the moment she started dialing Jordan’s number her watch lit up.

Someone had tapped her phone.

Her initial instinct was to hang up, but that would arouse suspicion.

She would just have to affect a lighthearted disinterest she didn’t feel and find a way to communicate the problem to Scott.

Forcing herself to discuss dress colors and popular restaurants for one of Jordan’s potential dates, she pressed a kiss to Scott’s cheek.

Finally having provided Jordan as much advice as possible via a phone call she hung up and turned to Scott before he could start asking questions.

“Babe, I am so exhausted my ears are ringing after such a long day.”

Scott felt alarm slam into him at Tessa’s statement.

She had been inside a maximum security facility all day long – who in the hell could have planted a listening device – and where was it?

“I’m sorry babe…I ordered room service. It should be ready when we get back to the hotel. You can take a nice long bath and relax. I’m sure the endless noise and chatter must have been exhausting.”

Keeping up a lighthearted banter was a strain, but they finally arrived back at their hotel.

A sweep of their rooms confirmed that there weren’t any bugs present there – the mole was trying to be more inventive this time.

Turning on their jammer, Tessa pulled out a tracer and plugged her phone as well as Scott’s in for evaluation.

She ran dozens of tests, scanning the devices and examining them for evidence of cloning while backtracing the tap.

None of the tests conclusively tied the tap back to a single order or presence, but there were a few nagging problems.

One, the trace was on her personal cell phone – not her business cell.

The number of people who had her personal number was remarkably small.

Of those individuals, almost none of them would give out that information without permission.

Naturally, they each had hundreds of contacts in their work phones, but that was an entirely separate issue.

Second, the technology required to breach the security measures set up in her network would require remarkable access and hacking capabilities.

Next, the number of people who knew their numbers and would want to hack their phones was limited.

All the valuable government secrets were on their work phones.

Someone was looking for very specific information.

Then there was the issue with timing.

The tap had been set up right after Tessa began research on the criminals they had helped arrest.

They couldn’t locate the source of the tracer…at least not with any certainty, but there were tentative indications that the signal originated in Ottawa.

It made sense – they were already convinced that the mole was within CSIS.

However, identifying “the” suspect was proving difficult.

Still, this felt like a tremendous invasion of privacy – the mole was closing in.

Tessa finally broke the silence, “What do you want to do?”

Scott’s face was clouded with concern. “We remove it and tell Lawson – in person.”

Tessa watched her husband for a few moments before interjecting, “You think the General is involved.”

It was a statement, not a question.

His gaze was tired, “I’m not sure what to think…or who to trust. The evidence is pointing towards someone with far reaching influence…and he is one of the only people who has access to the all the databases. There is also a chance he knows you are involved in this research project. I hope I’m wrong…”

It was almost impossible to believe that his former commanding officer, the man who had recruited him for CSIS, the one who had hand picked him for the assignment with Tessa could possibly be selling his country to the highest bidder.

People did crazy things for money, but surely Andrew wasn’t motivated by mere greed?

Sensing Scott’s disquiet, Tessa wrapped her arms around his shoulder and waist, “I’m sorry. We could be wrong you know…this might all be a misunderstanding or someone could be framing him.”

Turning to face her, he couldn’t hide the skepticism in his voice. “You don’t really think that do you?”

Tessa struggled to meet his gaze with optimism, “I’m hoping so.”

The rule might be that you were innocent until proven guilty, but that didn’t allay his suspicions.

He had been in this business too long to trust anyone.

Although, as he held Tessa later that night he had to smile.

There was one person he trusted…and trusted completely.


	18. The General

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a note on "General" Lawson. From my research, the official title of General is only held by one person in Canada - the Chief of Defense Staff. They are the senior uniformed officer of the entire armed forces. I'm totally open to correction on this since I'm American and not Canadian. I'm was not envisioning that Andrew was still the CDS, but that he had been - hence the title of "General". He is/was one of the most powerful men in the entire country. I probably should have been more specific in my explanation before now. It will be discussed more explicitly in this chapter - and next. Two more chapters after this I think :)

Early the next morning, Tessa stood on the tarmac watching their private plane take off.

She was still questioning her decision to remain in Bath while Scott flew to Ottawa.

After a long discussion, they decided that she would stay at Millhaven to finish some of the testing in order to allay suspicion.

Scott was clearly concerned, but he would only be gone one day.

Patrick would arrive later in the evening to discuss what was happening.

Even though their suspicions were uncertain at this point, neither could quite shake the unease that was growing in their minds.

They needed at least one ally and Scott still trusted his best friend.

* * *

 

Walking into a local park later that afternoon, Scott was tempted to call Tessa.

The urge to hear a steady voice, one he knew he could trust was almost unbearable, but it would also be pointless.

The super-max facility blocked all cell service.

Still, on impulse, as he waited for General Lawson to show up he dialed her number.

As expected, it went straight to voicemail.

The familiar message and tone brought a smile to his face, “Hey babe, just wanted to let you know I landed safely and I’ll talk to you tonight…I love you and hope you’re having a great day.”

His former commanding officer approached as he finished.

“Scott I got your message. You sounded very concerned on the phone. Has something happened?”

The two men bought coffee and took a seat on a bench.

There was nothing strange about two old army buddies catching up, but every word Scott uttered was calculated precisely.

Treason was a pretty hefty accusation to hurl at the former Chief of Defense Staff.

On the other hand, he couldn’t simply give away certain pieces of information – especially if the man was a traitor.

“Tessa found a tap on her personal phone last night. Naturally she behaved like a pro, but obviously we are concerned…Is there any chance our identities have been compromised?”

Andrew looked his distress. “That is very serious. We haven’t received any chatter about your cover being blown, but sometimes we are the last to know. Were you able to trace the tap?”

Scott weighed his next words before deciding he had more to learn from the older man’s reaction than he did to lose by withholding information.

“Actually we were able to determine a tentative location. Tessa always has the latest tracking technology. She tried explaining some of it to me. You know cell towers, satellite dishes, vibrations, and algorithms that take up an entire blackboard. I didn’t quite understand how the whole process works, but the long and the short of it is that it traces back to Ottawa.”

If the General had given a small start at the news that their phones had been tapped, he went visibly white at this latest declaration. “That is very serious. She is sure there is no mistake?”

Scott forced a smile onto his face, “Tessa…make a mistake?”

Andrew nodded his head, “What do you want to do? This is…I mean we thought we had dealt with the leak when Grainger was arrested. I thought for sure that we were done with moles, at least under my watch.”

Scott leaned in closer deciding to put all the cards, or at least most of them, on the table. “Actually, after some analysis it would appear Grainger may not have been the problem in the first place.”

Andrew dropped his voice in return, “What do you mean?”

“There is pretty strong evidence that someone of higher rank than Grainger was involved in the data manipulation. Truthfully, it looks like the scheme had been running for years before she was ever brought onboard. Do you know who hired her?”

“No, I don’t, but I can find out. We will need to start an internal review to pinpoint where the leak is coming from, but we need to keep this quiet. Obviously whoever is behind this thinks they are safe. We don’t want them to do anything drastic.”

Scott felt his heart sink to the ground as his most trusted mentor lied to his face.

He always tapped his right temple when he was bluffing.

Most people thought he was being contemplative, but after years of playing poker with Andrew, Scott knew when he was lying.

Keeping up a brave front Scott nodded. “Of course. We need to be very careful. I’ll be sure Tessa knows what we’re dealing with.”

He was rewarded for his efforts when he saw the General visibly relax. “Excellent. How is her study going?”

Scott perfected a wide eyed look of surprise, “I thought her study was confidential.”

Andrew squirmed uncomfortably as he lied with less believability. “Keller mentioned it to me in passing. You know, because I’m your handler. He wanted to make sure there wasn’t a conflict.”

“Oh…well I could have sworn he said he wasn’t going to mention it to anyone – especially because Tessa and I are in the middle of a break. He must have changed his mind.”

Scott rose to stand, “I’ll let you know if we find anything else yeah?”

Andrew rose to shake his hand, “Absolutely, and I’ll start a quiet inquiry on my side of things.”

Watching the younger man walk away the General wondered what Scott was thinking.

He might not have three Ph.Ds. but the Captain was no idiot.

Looking at his cell phone Andrew wondered if he had the nerve to make the phone call that would potentially take his criminal involvement from detached and electronic to personal.

Glancing around the park he knew there was a possibility he wouldn’t have to make the call at all.

These days, there was always someone close by who could be trusted to report his activities. 

* * *

 

Scott felt defeated as he made his way back to the plane.

He had trusted Andrew implicitly. The man was a war hero for heaven’s sake.

This was a personal betrayal as well as one of the greatest national security scandals waiting to break.

When his phone began to ring, Scott almost ignored it.

He was hardly in the mood to talk with anyone at the moment.

Glancing at the caller ID last minute, he noticed it was Tessa.

She must have stepped outside to call him.

“Hey babe, I miss…”

“Ah Mr. Moir, I’m so glad you answered. We were beginning to worry that you would ignore our call.”

Every muscle in Scott’s body contracted as endless possibilities began racing through his mind. Pulling out a portable tracer, he started looking for the origin of the call.

His necklace was showing an unclear reading for Tessa’s tracker.

Something was interfering with the signal. “Who is this?”

“Who? Don’t worry about that right now. We have a mutual friend and that is all you need to know. You possess or rather your wife possesses certain pieces of data that my employer wants, However, we can’t simply break into her office. The guards are too risky, not to mention that the biometric scanner checks for elevated blood pressure levels, and there are too many codes…in short we are not willing to attempt what can be achieved through persuasion.”

Scott deliberately steadied his voice before replying, “You mean manipulation…do you have her?”

The voice on the other end went quiet for a moment. “I will allow you to speak with her. See, I don’t care if she tells you where we are. As a matter of fact I will tell you. I want you to download the data and bring it to me. You are then to wipe all the information from your records. Only after you have done this will your wife be returned to you.”

Scott’s voice was like ice, “You’re not planning to let either of us live.”

There was a hint of a smile in the other man’s tone, “You won’t know that for sure until you arrive. Besides can you really live with yourself if you let her die without trying to free her? Fly to Montreal and I will call you with directions this evening.”

“You promised I could speak with her.”

Silence reigned once more before he answered, “Very well. A short conversation.”

There was some shuffling before Tessa’s voice sounded on the other end of the line. “Scott?”

“I’m here baby, are you alright?”

Her voice was pitched higher than usual and at his last question she let out a slightly strangled laugh, “I’m ok. Newton hasn’t been fed and I’m guessing I’m going to miss Kaetlyn’s birthday on the seventh. Although to be fair, that probably isn’t the only thing I’ll miss. Don’t come alright? I couldn’t bear the thought of you dying too.”

Scott cleared his throat, “You know I can’t let you go. I love you. I will see you soon.”

The phone was pulled away as Tessa replied, “I love you too.”

“Tonight. Wait for my call.”

Scott’s voice could have sliced through steel. “I’ll want to see her before I bring you this information. I can’t give you my only bargaining chip without knowing she’s alright – if you hurt her you’ll get nothing.”

The other man’s voice was almost ironic as he answered, “Interestingly enough, we have very specific instructions to keep both of you alive and in good health until our employer arrives. He wants to meet you.”

The line went dead at that point.

The trace had been inconclusive although if they were meeting him in Montreal they were probably in a plane.

Affecting a lighthearted tone that was exactly the opposite of what he was feeling, he instructed the pilot to fly to Montreal,

That man couldn’t quite hide his surprise at the change in destination and Scott manage to mutter that Tessa needed something from the office.

Closing the door to the bedroom in the back of the plane, he dropped his head into his hands and tried to focus on breathing.

Tessa’s message replayed in his mind.

She had said Newton – that meant distress, but it was already pretty obvious she was in distress. There must have been more to the message, and then she had mentioned Kaetlyn.

That was an odd choice, unless she wanted him to call that twenty-four year old genius – maybe Kaetlyn could do some sort of analysis?

The primary advantage of contacting Kaetlyn was that the connection would be completely secure and private.

Then there was the issue of her birthday. It was December fifth – not the seventh.

Maybe the seventh was code for seven guards?

Perhaps that last piece about missing other things was meant to let him know there might be other guards she couldn’t see?

The plane ride felt interminable even though it lasted less than an hour.

Renting a car for ease of transportation and so that he didn’t have to go back to their house, he finally arrived at Virtue Designs.

It didn’t appear that anyone was following him.

Apparently, they trusted that the leverage they were holding was more than enough to guarantee his cooperation, and they couldn’t have been more correct in their assumption.

As the data the kidnappers requested began to download, Scott stared at the phone in front of him. Tessa had mentioned Kaetlyn by name.

She wouldn’t have done that unless she wanted him to call her young protégé.

At this point he trusted her judgment more than he feared the possible repercussions.

Kaetlyn answered after two rings, “Mr. Moir is everything ok?”

Scott wanted to keep this conversation as concise as possible, “Kaetlyn I need you to listen very carefully and promise me this conversation will not go any further.”

Her tone was serious and Scott could hear a door closing in the background. “Of course, what’s wrong?”

“Tessa and I have been working for CSIS since we got married. I doubt that will surprise you…you’ve probably guessed that something strange was going on after some of the phone calls and questions you’ve gotten from us.”

In spite of the seriousness of the moment, Scott could hear a quietly muttered, “I knew it” on the other end of the line.

Ignoring her, he continued, “Tessa has been kidnapped. Our first operation was in connection with a leak in CSIS…that is part of the project she had you working on regarding Italy.”

Kaetlyn practically spluttered, “She had me tracking a government mole? I don’t…”

Scott pulled her back to the present, “Kaetlyn – we can talk about this later, but right now I need you to try and locate her through the tracer in her watch. Something is interfering with the signal.”

He could almost imagine her refocusing her attention, “Right kidnapped – sorry. I’ll get right on that.”

Pausing, Scott watched as the data finished downloading before making a split-second decision, “And Kaet, I am going to send you some information. You have to promise me that you won’t open it until...unless you hear that…that something has gone wrong. It contains very sensitive information – national security compromising information.”

Kaetlyn’s tone was deadly serious, “I promise…but I have clearance above top secret if it makes you feel any better about sending me the data. I’ve already started the trace, but I’m not sure how much luck I’ll have. If you get closer to her tracker I might be able to get a reading. Your signals boost each other’s. I’m assuming you’re going to meet someone to give them the data?”

Scott nodded as if Kaetlyn could see him. “Yeah…I have to try, but I can’t give them the only copy of the information. I definitely can’t risk them trying to destroy it if something were to happen.”

 “Mr. Moir I’m not trying to tell you how to do your job, but don’t you think you should call the police?”

“No. They’ll only get in the way for what I need to do. However, if you get a firm trace on Tessa’s location I want you to forward it to a man named Patrick Chan. I’ll send you his number. I need you to call and let him know he needs to come to Montreal - not Bath as he originally planned...without actually saying any of that...understand?"

He could hear Kaetlyn taking notes, "P-Chiddy...got it. He works for CSIS?"

"Yeah, he’s our backup at CSIS and at this point he’s the only person I trust within the agency.”

Silence lengthened on the line as Scott finalized the data transfer – the last hope for truth if things went south.

It almost felt too final, clicking the send button – as if he were already resigning himself to the fact that they probably wouldn’t make it back alive.

Kaetlyn’s voice finally broke the quiet. “I got it…I wish there was something else I could say…good luck.”

The line went dead at that point.

It was a little terrifying to think that a twenty-four year old was holding a secret that people had been kidnapped and killed for, but Tessa trusted her completely.

Glancing around the room, Scott knew he had at least a few hours before he would hear from the kidnappers.

It felt almost suffocating to be here in Tessa’s office.

Two weeks ago, he had spanked her ass over this desk before they fucked each other into bliss.

In the past year, they had made love in her office chair, against the wall, in the bedroom connected to her office.

They had laughed over countless lunches, he had made fun of the wild hairstyles she sported which were often held together by pencils and whatever else was handy.

She had teased him that he was too distracted to work in the same space as her...there were too many memories…

If anyone asked how he survived the interminable afternoon he couldn’t have told them, but the phone finally rang.

The same man from this morning asked, “Mr. Moir, I assume you have what we want?”

“Yes, but I want to see her, and not on some sort of pre-recorded video. I want a live feed.”

The other man’s voice was almost bored. “Of course you do. I assume you have some sort of video calling capability on your phone. Call back and you’ll see exactly what you want – your wife alive and in surprisingly good health.”

Less than a minute later, he was staring at Tessa’s face.

She was a little pale, but otherwise she appeared to be unharmed.

Her hands were cuffed in front of her. “Hi T, how are you feeling?”

Tessa ignored the question as tears shone in her eyes, “You’re going to do it aren’t you? You’re coming. You know it’s a trap. Please don’t do this.”

He felt his throat constrict. “You know I can’t sit idly by while they...”

He couldn’t bring himself to say “kill you.”

That is what would happen if he didn’t show up.

Instead he continued, “Everything will be alright. We’re going to walk away from this – feed Newton…go to Kaetlyn’s birthday…raise our kids…”

Her smile was wobbly, “No we won’t. I’m going to ask you one more time…please don’t come. My last request.”

A few tears had spilled down her cheeks at this point.

He had never done well resisting her tears…today would an exception. “I love you.”

The video feed cut off at that point.

The phone rang almost immediately afterwards.

“Go to Mt. Royal Park. A car will meet you and bring you to your wife.”

“I want directions. There’s no guarantee that if I get in a car I’ll ever make it to Tessa.”

The man on the other end of the line grunted. “I think you will have to trust me. I promise, my employer truly wishes to meet you. He means you no harm…at least not until after he speaks with you.”

Scott considered his options as he began his drive to Mt. Royal.

One of the first rules of war was that you never let the other player control your actions – they might set the rules, but whenever possible you had to break them or change the game.

That was the only way anyone would walk out alive.

Leaving his car a few blocks away, he walked through the night shadows into the park.

There had only been a few times since leaving the military that he had felt so charged with adrenaline – so aware of everything around him.

He hugged the tree line, pulling out the small night scope he carried in his jacket.

They had chosen their location well.

The park was virtually deserted, but it was still a public park – you couldn’t simply start shooting people.

He could hear two sets of footsteps approaching from behind.

He quietly replaced his scope and pulled out his Bowie knife.

A gun would be too loud, and with his training both were equally deadly.

Two men ordered him to come with them.

They were both dead as soon as the words were out of their mouth.

He followed their recent path back to a waiting SUV.

There was a driver lounging in the front seat, clearly oblivious to any impending danger.

He was disarmed within thirty seconds.

Holding a gun to the man’s side, Scott ordered, “You’re going to take me to meet your boss. Just to let you know…I can drive a car like this with my feet, teeth, elbows…practically with my eyes closed after all my years in the Middle East and CSIS missions I’ve completed. If you try to screw this up I’ll shoot you, take the wheel and never blink an eye.”

The driver might have been a career criminal, but he knew who Scott was.

He had been fully briefed – he had just wrongfully assumed that his two co-workers would be able to handle the man.

After all they weren’t exactly mall cops themselves.

Scott’s newly acquired driver carefully wended his way through the streets towards the Old Port.

Arriving outside an abandoned warehouse, the driver turned off the car.

Scott applied a little more pressure to the man’s side, “Where are they?”

The driver let out a short forced laugh. “Yeah…I’m afraid we’re at an impasse. If I tell you where they are I’m as good as dead. Besides, they’re supposed to meet you here and take you to your destination. I couldn’t give you a precise location if I wanted to.”

Scott stared at the man’s eyes for a moment before nodding. He wasn’t lying.

Whoever was orchestrating these events had multiple fail-safes in place.

They weren’t giving any of their operatives more information than necessary. “I believe you. Because of that…I’ll let you live.”

The man’s gaze was hesitantly hopeful before his eyes rolled back in his head as he lost consciousness.

Scott tied the man’s hands and feet behind his back, all the time watching for new enemy arrivals. He moved into the shadows, his knife at the ready.

He hadn’t deliberately plotted to kill anyone in several years.

Of course there had been more than a few casualties over the past year, but they had all been in response to an immediate threat on Tessa’s life, his own, or a member of their team.

He had just killed two men, reduced a third to unconsciousness and was intending to kill anyone else who got in his way.

He hadn’t hesitated…but there were three men approaching the SUV he had just vacated.

He moved quietly.

Once they pulled out their guns, they would have the advantage.

They could mow him down with ease if he waited to make his move.

For a moment, he considered putting away his knife and using the loaded gun now concealed at the small of his back.

Still, the noise would draw attention and he wanted maintain the element of surprise for as long as he could.

One man was dead before any of them realized they were not alone.

The second had time to look alarmed at the sight of their fallen comrade.

The third managed to get his gun into position, but found himself quickly disarmed and dragged into the shadows.

With an edge of steel in his voice, and his knife at the third man’s throat, Scott began. “I am looking for my wife. If you want to live you are going to take me to her.”

The man’s strangled laughter was belied by the hammering of his pulse. “You’ll simply kill me anyway. Why should I tell you where they are holding her?”

Moving the man’s neck into a headlock instead of the knife at his throat Scott regulated his tone. “Your friend the driver is not dead. I am not a mindless murder. I am only a man looking to save his wife – I don’t want to kill anyone else, but I will do whatever is required to get her back.”

From this position, it would take less than five seconds to break his neck.

Scott could feel the moment when the man stopped struggling, but he didn’t relax his grip in case his new friend changed his mind.

“She’s in number nine.”

Scott debated his next move. There must be some sort of password or access key for the warehouse.

This man might have that access or there might be another intermediary.

Either way, it wasn’t worth the effort to try and get more information out of his captive.

These thoughts darted through his mind in less than ten seconds. It took that same amount of time to reduce the man in front of him to unconsciousness.

His arms and legs were similarly bound as the driver's had been.

Moving silently, Scott stole towards the warehouses.

There were dozens. The numbers were faded and chipped. It was tempting to feel rushed and to panic.

After all, if the men he had disarmed were supposed to bring him to the warehouse they would have brought him quickly and directly.

Finally, he saw a dull building that might once have been blue. The number nine was almost faded into the paint of the dilapidated heap.

It was a well-chosen position. Three sides were exposed to streetlights and anyone approaching from those directions could instantly be identified.

That left one side which formed a small alley between warehouse eight and nine.

It was almost completely dark in that narrow passageway.

Evaluating his options, Scott could not ignore the fact that he was running out of time.

Working his way around to building twelve, he moved onto the roof to better survey the alternatives that lay before him.

There were guards on the roof of warehouses number nine and ten.

There was also a boat docked a short distance away.

He couldn’t tell for sure, but he was confident that there were at least two guards outside the main doors. There would be more on the inside.

Tessa had mentioned the number seven.

Quietly subduing the guards on the roof, he knew that by now men would have been dispatched to search for their missing comrades.

Surveying the roof of the warehouse, he focused on breathing – even pushing thoughts of Tessa out of his mind.

He couldn’t afford the distraction.

Sweeping the perimeter, Scott tried to find an access point.

There didn’t appear to be one readily available.

Instead, he leaned over the edge to look for a window.

He was rewarded less than a minute later as he found one.

The only thing left was to get it open noiselessly, rescue Tessa, not get shot, call the backup team, and arrest everyone involved…but something was wrong.

The sensation that he was being watched came a few seconds too late as everything went dark.

Before he completely lost consciousness, he could have sworn he heard a familiar voice demanding that he not be hurt.


	19. The Conclusion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for being patient! Again, I have absolutely no medical training and I am fully aware that at least two elements of this chapter are...medically problematic/unlikely, but it's my story so suspension of disbelief :) Let me know what you think about the plot twist...The last chapter will be a wrap-up, but if you have plot questions about the story feel free to leave them in the comments and I'll try to answer them!

Scott opened his eyes and tried not to think about the blood running down his forehead or the throbbing around his ribs.

Based on his pain levels, he had probably broken at least one.

He wasn’t sure if his captors had beaten him after he lost consciousness or if he had fallen over the side of the building when they knocked him out.

Regardless, there were far more interesting things and people to observe as he alternated between watching his former commanding officer and Tessa who was cuffed on the other side of the room.

She seemed to be unsure if she should smile or cry – although it appeared she had done more than a little of the latter.

He tried to smile at her in reassurance, but the atmosphere in the room was tense.

The kidnappers had found their dead friends as well as those who had been incapacitated.

Scott knew he and Tessa would have been dead long before now if these men didn’t have specific orders to keep them alive.

He couldn’t quite suppress the shiver that ran over his frame as he observed a table where various needles, knives, and serums had been carefully displayed.

He had been tortured before, but if these people started using those instruments on Tessa...

It wouldn’t do any good to be distracted by the potential of what _could_ happen.

He had to focus on the present, trying to find a way to escape, and figuring out who was so desperate to meet them.

They weren’t kept in suspense much longer.

Three more armed guards entered the room followed by someone who looked vaguely familiar.

Scott frantically wracked his brain for where he had seen the other man before it finally dawned on him – it was Stavros.

It was the man who had given him such timely advice about simply loving Tessa – the man who had changed the way he approached his entire relationship with his wife.

None of this made any sense. He had been a passing acquaintance – not someone who wanted them dead.

Scott felt as though his mind was racing in time with his heart, without making any forward progress.

Tessa’s face betrayed her clear confusion. She hadn’t even met this man in Italy.

Their latest visitor didn’t wait for them to ask questions, “So we meet again, though under somewhat different circumstances. I hear the two of you have officially fallen in love. I must tell you, I’m not sure I would have given you the same advice last year if I had known who you were.”

Tessa’s eyes searched his in desperate inquiry.

He tried to communicate any measure of calm that remained in his body.

Stavros had moved to sit across from Scott, “Still, you choices will serve my purposes now. You almost destroyed me. No one has ever come this close. I will have to go into even deeper seclusion for a few years, and then once everyone forgets you and your charming wife I can reemerge and resume business.”

Struggling for coherency, Scott gritted out, “I don’t understand – who in the hell are you – who are you actually? Why are you doing this?”

Tilting his head to the side Stavros finally smiled, “More on the why later, but the who I will gladly answer. My real name is Luca Romano…the dear little tavern keeper that was too bumbling and innocent to be a criminal. You should have looked a little harder."

Scott thought he might pass out.

Luca Romano was on every Government’s watch list. He was wanted for weapons smuggling, drug running, sex trafficking, espionage…the list was virtually interminable.

How the hell had they missed the fact that one of the world’s most wanted criminals was hiding under their nose?

“So you run a tiny tavern by day and you’re a criminal mastermind by night?”

Something close to amusement flashed in the other man’s gaze, “Don’t be ridiculous, I rarely work there. It is nothing more than a front – I have dozens of establishments like it around the world to launder my money. I was finalizing a transaction – the diamonds for the serum you had so unceremoniously stolen from under my nose.”

The older man’s tone was verging on gleeful, “No one ever bothered to ask why Ramirez stayed on land with a biometric lock box…no one wanted to know whose information unlocked such a tiny forgettable object.”

It was true. Once the box turned up missing there had been a sort of resignation that it was gone – permanently. There had been little to no further inquiry.

Luca’s voice returned to an almost bored tone, “The two of you have failed. For all of your combined brilliance you will be written down as a footnote in the long list of those who couldn't quite succeed in capturing me. General Lawson will retire to a tropical climate with no extradition treaty and the two of you will be tossed over the side of the boat to serve as a shark’s breakfast.”  

Tessa interrupted him at this point. “That’s a very charming plan, but unfortunately for you, Minister Keller has been fully briefed on this situation. He has men all over the place and they now have your picture.”

Luca’s face flushed crimson, while General Lawson went deadly pale. “I thought you said you were jamming transponder signals?”

Several voices answered the affirmative as Luca practically growled while pulling Tessa’s hair, “If you’re bluffing…”

She smiled despite the wince that raced over her frame, “It is called stealth surveillance. My company recently developed it. One of its greatest advantages is that it is untraceable by normal detection devices. While my signal might not have been strong enough to broadcast by itself, when you brought Scott in here…well, I guess that was your last mistake.”

Lawson stepped forward, “We can’t afford to wait and find out if she’s right.”

Luca nodded his head in agreement glancing at the table of torture instruments that had been carefully displayed. “It is unfortunate. I so wanted to take my time with this matter. Still, I suppose the result is what matters.”

Walking over to Scott he pulled out a gun.

Tessa felt the world going black, but fought to remain conscious.

If she was going to be helpful she had to be awake.

Their captor began, “Do you know why I came here tonight?”

Scott tried to meet Tessa’s gaze.

She was frighteningly pale and he was pretty sure none of the guards would help her if she passed out.

On the other hand, if Luca was about to shoot him maybe it was better she didn’t see that.

All those thoughts flashed through his mind almost simultaneously, but the only thing he said was, “No. You could have just walked away – no risk involved.”

“I came because five years ago my wife died, and you can imagine my surprise when after investigation. . . I found out that the man I had counseled last year was the very one who had taken her from me. I wanted revenge and as it happened, the General here, needed to tie up loose ends. He finally broke and admitted the truth of what happened.”

A measure of desperation laced Scott’s voice, “What are you talking about? I’ve never been sent to kill a woman. Not when I was in Special Forces – not with CSIS”

“No, you were sent to kill me. A gun battle erupted. She was my Tessa – and she loved me so much that she stepped in front of a bullet. I swore I would avenge her death, but I could never find the killer. Now I have the opportunity to do so much more. I can return pain for pain-it will be my last satisfaction.”

“If you’re going to kill me then…”

The older man laughed while the General looked increasingly uncomfortable. “I’m not going to kill you – that would be too kind. I’m going to take your heart.”

Before Scott could fully process what that last statement might mean, Luca spun around and shot Tessa.

Scott watched in horror as red liquid began seeping through her dress.

The older man motioned everyone out of the room before uncuffing Scott. “I’ll let you have the final moments alone. You extended the same courtesy to me. You’ll have less than five minutes.”

That man kept the gun trained on his adversary, but following Luca was the last thing on Scott’s mind as he rushed to Tessa’s side stripping off his shirt to use as a bandage.

From the location of the wound, he knew there would be no recovery without immediate medical attention – maybe not even then. “Baby, honey look at me. I need you to talk to me. You’re the best scientist I know. What do you want me to do? How can I fix this?”

Tessa was almost tranquil as she met his eyes. “I love you Scott Patrick Moir. I would do it all again in a heartbeat. Loving you was the best decision I ever made.”

Scott felt the last embers of hope dying as he watched her eyes slide closed.

Anger competed with hopelessness as he watched her blood soak through his shirt. There was no way to apply a tourniquet.

His brain was practically shouting at him to think of a solution.

If their roles were reversed, she would know how to save him.

Looking around the room, he saw the table of vials and needles they had planned to torture them with.

Half in desperation he began scanning through them wondering if there was something that would save her – and if he would recognize it if he found it.

He had been through several vials before he found one labeled tetrodotoxin.

It was a poison – but it didn’t kill right away.

It might slow down her heart rate just enough to get help…if they were extraordinarily lucky.

He pulled out a needle fumbling as he tried to decide how much to give her – too much and he could kill her right away.

He hesitated for half a second before plunging a small dose of it into her femoral artery.

They would have about twenty to thirty minutes before the outward symptoms of vomiting, dehydration, hallucinations, and several other side effects became apparent, but at the rate she was going – he wouldn’t have to worry about what happened in twenty minutes.

He was afraid to leave her, but he had to find help.

A quick look out the door revealed it was metal hung on iron hinges and locked from the outside.

There would be no getting out from that direction.

The windows were feet above his head and there was no ladder in sight.

He began looking for loose paneling as the sound of gunfire broke out.

Scott frantically searched for something to use as a weapon in case armed guards broke through the door.

He settled on a crowbar when the door swung open and Patrick’s familiar voice shouted, “Don’t shoot – backup’s here.”

Scott dropped the crowbar and shouted, “I need a medic.”

Two men rushed forward, starting a transfusion as they tried to stabilize Tessa.

In fifteen minutes a real doctor had arrived – they began treating her for the poison as well as the gunshot wound, but her condition had not stabilized.

One minute her heart would gain a steady rhythm and the next it would race or drop altogether.

Scott never let go of her hand.

Others had gathered round to bandage his cuts and someone had stitched up his forehead, but none of that made much of an impression as he watched his wife’s pale face.

The doctor waved the emergency service personnel forward. “I can’t do anything else for her here. We have to move her to the hospital and prep for emergency surgery.”

 A CSIS administrator stepped in front of Scott, “Agent Moir, we need to take your statement.”

Scott stated down at the portly little man in front of him, “It will have to wait.”

The man was not deterred, “I’m sorry, but it can’t. We have had a defection at the highest level and we must…”

Scott interrupted, speaking in icy tones, “The only statement that you’re going to get from me right now is that I’m going to the hospital with my wife. And your report will wait.”

The other man’s face turned a remarkable shade of purple, “I command you to stay here – she’s only your partner.”

Scott didn’t bother turning around, “She’s my wife – and if that is your attitude – I quit.”

The room fell silent at that point, as Patrick stepped between the two of them and gave their new acquaintance a pointed look, “Mr. Sherman I’d be careful how you choose your next words. After all, you don’t exactly have the authority to fire Agent Moir. Besides his request isn’t exactly out of the ordinary – it is his wife after all.”

Sherman’s look was petulant as he began to interrupt, but Patrick placed an iron grip on the man’s shoulder, “I think it would be wise to remember they’re more valuable than you, and they’re personal friends of Minister Keller.”

That other man gloomily retreated to criticize someone else, and Patrick moved to double check the security of their prisoners.

Luca was dead along with two other men – not to mention those Scott had killed.

General Lawson had been wounded, but he was still alive.

Patrick felt a surge of anger towards the man who had betrayed their trust – not to mention his country.

Standing before him, he tried to decide what to say. “Why?”

The older man’s gaze was sorrowful. “It doesn’t matter now.”

Unwilling to beg for the story, Patrick gave a few more instructions before moving back inside.

His mind however, was miles away with an ambulance speeding through the streets in an attempt to save his best friend’s wife.

* * *

If he lived to be a hundred, Scott knew he would never forget the endless ride to the hospital.

They had finally wheeled her into surgery as strong arms insisted that he couldn’t follow her into the operating room.

Looking down at his hands, Scott felt a shudder run over his frame.

He was covered in blood – her blood. 

By six the next morning, Scott’s gaze was vacantly focused on the far wall.

The hospital staff had been very kind, bringing him coffee and snacks – even allowing him to use the staff shower.

The nurses and doctors shook their heads in concern – such a young man to possibly lose his wife.

Tessa had been in surgery for hours, and Scott was losing the thin grip he had on hope.

Finally, the doctor approached looking at least ten years older than he had the night before. “We’ll know more in the next twenty-four to thirty-six hours. Her system has suffered a terrible shock. A few minutes more and there wouldn’t have been anything we could have done. It was quite clever of you to give her tetrodotoxin in an attempt to slow her heart rate down. She would have definitely been gone without it.”

Scott felt as if he were drowning and someone had allowed him the smallest breath – the real question was would it be enough to carry them through the next hours.

“Thank you. Can I see her?”

“In the case of some people I would say no – the patients need calm during times like these, but with your background I think I may safely allow you in. You can read to her or hold her hand, but nothing more. She needs a peaceful environment.”

Scott nodded, “Promise – perfectly calm.”

Tessa’s system crashed twice that day, and they brought her back each time.

By nine o’clock that night, Scott wasn’t sure how much more he could handle.

Fear was eating away at the final measure of his resolve.

He had walked into battle more times than he could remember, but this was an entirely new form of warfare and it was more draining that anything he had experienced.

He was a helpless spectator as the person he loved most in this world was fighting for her life. He read to her, talked to her, held her hand…but still nothing.  

His voice was practically gone as he whispered, “T, you can’t leave me. We’re supposed to grow old together…we promised. Please baby…stay with me?”

Her vital signs didn’t change with this heartfelt declaration and he felt himself blink back tears.

Patrick wandered in, not bothering to hide the tears that had formed in his own eyes, “I keep wondering how I missed it. How I didn’t recognize him…”

Scott shook his head, “No. This isn’t your fault.”

Placing a hand on Scott’s back, he offered silent sympathy.

He wasn’t ready for the confession that spilled from Scott’s lips, “I killed her Chiddy. I killed her just as surely as if I pulled the trigger.”

“Scott – she's not dead yet and man you didn't…”

His words died on his tongue at Scott’s tortured gaze, “I agreed to marry her even though she was a civilian, I was the one who shot Luca’s wife, despite my better judgment I left her at Millhaven. God I’m such an idiot – I should have waited on Ottawa – or insisted she come with me.”

Patrick cleared his throat, “I don’t know the whole story, but I doubt Tessa would see it that way.”

Scott’s head dropped in defeat, “No…she said she’d do it again – those were practically her last words to me.”

Scott was vaguely aware of agents coming in and out to take his statement and ascertain details of what had transpired.

They had all looked at him in pity and at Tessa in resignation – they didn’t expect her to live.

The doctor came in at around midnight.

His gaze was sorrowful. “There has not been any improvement in her condition – she hasn’t gotten worse, but I would caution you not to hope too much. Of course we will do everything we can for her, but…”

“I understand.”

The older man turned to leave, but Scott called him back. “Since you’re so uncertain about what may happen…can I hold her?”

The doctor cleared his throat as his own eyes filled with tears.

It was always hard to watch one spouse lose another, but it was especially heartbreaking when it was such a young couple, “I can’t recommend it, but all things considered – if you want to hold her one last time…you better do it now.”

Scott felt several tears escape. That last statement told him all he needed to know.

Tessa was attached to so many tubes and diodes that he wasn’t sure how to slide into the bed beside her.

He finally just picked her up and laid her on top of him.

His ribs screamed in pain, but as her head rested on his chest he wondered if she could hear his heart beat one last time or if this was just for him – for his closure.

His arms had been her home and his heart belonged to her – if this was really the end, he wanted her to feel safe – to feel loved.

As the clock ticked closer to three and sleep claimed him, his final thoughts were that he didn’t regret it…falling in love with Tessa had still been the best choice he had ever made.

It would have been less complicated to remain professional partners, but they would have missed so many moments – and he couldn’t regret the joy they had experienced or the love they shared.

* * *

Scott felt his eyes rebel against the sunlight streaming through the blinds. His eyes were gritty from exhaustion.

Four hours of restless sleep was not sufficient to compensate for the hours he had missed or the physical and emotional toil of the past forty-eight hours.

Tessa’s head still rested on his chest, but she was so quiet he had to swallow panic at the thought that she had slipped away from him.

His eyes flew to the monitor, but it reported a steady heart rate.

He alternated between watching that screen and watching her face.

The doctor quietly stole into the room as Scott’s eyes asked the question his lips refused to utter. “She stabilized sometime during the night. I was afraid to wake you. I can’t explain what happened, but we think she’s out of immediate danger.”

Scott didn’t bother to hide the tears that were running down his cheeks, “Thank you.”

“Can I get you anything?”

“No, I’ll just hold her for right now. I don’t want to disturb her.”

A few hours later his efforts were rewarded as Tessa’s green eyes fluttered open to meet his. “Scott?”

“I’m right here sweetheart, what can I get you?”

She sighed. “I’m so tired, where are we?”

He debated about how much to tell her. “We’re at the hospital. You were hurt, but you’re getting better. You don’t need to worry about anything, just rest.”

She frowned, “Did they get away?”

He didn’t have to ask who she was talking about. “No, they caught both of them."

She readjusted her head to a more comfortable position, and before the drugs pulled her back under she mumbled, “That doesn’t make any sense.”

Scott had to agree. General Lawson and Luca shouldn’t have been caught.

Even though he and Tessa wore transponders the signal had been blocked until a few minutes before she had been shot.

The docks were a huge area.

Logically, even if Patrick and their rescue team were already in the general vicinity they should not have arrived in time to arrest those two men.

Someone had called the cavalry long before Luca had arrived and there was only one man in the room who would have done that.

Looking out the window, Scott wondered if he would have the courage to walk through the prison doors and ask the man who had betrayed his country and gotten his wife shot why he had also alerted CSIS of their location.

It was too much to think about now, but it was a choice he would have to make, and soon.

* * *

Tessa continued to improve and Scott felt as though his heart might burst with sheer relief.

He desperately wanted to call her family and tell them what was happening.

They deserved to know that she had been shot and was now in a hospital, sequestered in a private room to avoid disclosing their identities any further, but that was impossible.

Patrick was busy cleaning up the remnants of Luca’s network.

That criminal's influence was astonishing.

Taking him down was causing a domino reaction with dozens of other criminals, corrupt government officials, and unsolved cases.

People were already saying this was the most important intelligence operation in the past fifty years.

Keller had called to congratulate them and check on Tessa.

Pushing all those tumultuous thoughts aside, he picked up a book and began reading it to her.

Looking up a few minutes later, he felt tears sting the back of his eyes at the sight of Marie-France and Patrice standing in the doorway.

“How?”

Marie offered him a hug, careful not to put pressure on his ribs, “Patrick called. He said you might need a friend or two – especially since you can’t tell your families.”

Practically melting into their mentors' embrace, Scott felt some of the tension leave his shoulders.

For the first time in days, they weren't facing this alone.

* * *

Standing outside with Marie later that night while Patrice interrogated Tessa on the reliability of data when precise deviations had not been established, Scott breathed out a quiet, “Thank you.”

Marie squeezed his hand in assurance, “Patrice and I will always be here, and Scott…”

She paused in uncertainty before continuing, “Don’t be mad at him, but Patrick told me what you said about it being your fault that Tessa was shot…we should probably unpack that feeling at some point – once all of this is settled.”

Scott’s expression was somewhat rueful, “I’ll have to thank Patrick for that one. I know, intellectually, that it’s not my fault…but I won’t lie. I do feel like I messed up. I feel like I failed, that I didn’t protect her.”

“And it is valid to feel that way…as long as you acknowledge that it’s not true, and take steps to move forward.”

Wandering back into the room, Patrice asked _the_ question, “What will happen to Lawson?”

Scott grimaced as he sat on the edge of Tessa’s bed, “They’re flying him back to Ottawa tomorrow afternoon…I’m not really sure what they’ll do.”

“Has he said why?”

Scott squeezed Tessa’s hand even as he answered Marie’s question, “No – at least not that I’m aware of. I haven’t talked to him.”

Tessa rubbed soothing circles on his leg, “Babe…now that Marie-France and Patrice are here you could go see him…before they fly him back to Ottawa…it might be good to…get a measure of closure?”

Facing Andrew was the last thing he wanted to do, but Tessa was right…and a part of him needed to know, needed to try to understand what had happened to the man he had respected for so many years.

* * *

Staring at the unassuming grey building, Scott felt as if he was about to go into war.

His palms were sweaty and his head was pounding.

He and Tessa had discussed what happened at the docks and agreed that Andrew must have been the person who tipped Patrick off about their location.

They had already double checked with Kaetlyn, and while she had called Patrick, she didn’t have a location to give him until after Scott was already inside the warehouse. 

Still, even on the off-chance Lawson hadn’t made the call, Scott knew he had to speak to his mentor once more.

Tessa wanted to come, but the doctors absolutely refused to let her leave the hospital. Marie-France and Patrice were keeping her entertained.

Forcing himself to find the measure of calm that was left in his brain, just as he would before combat, he pushed the button outside the door.

His retina would be scanned, his hand print authenticated, and his biometrics evaluated. Once he passed all these tests, a guard would meet him and double check the scanner’s reports for signs of a weapon.

He would then be escorted several floors underground and shown into a top-secret holding cell where General Lawson had agreed to meet him.

Scott just hoped he could think of what to say when he finally confronted that man because at the moment he wasn’t sure where to begin.

Finally sitting across from the man who had practically been a second father to him there was only one thought that would form itself into a coherent question, “Why did you call them? You had to know they would catch you.”

Andrew looked tired.

They had probably kept him up for hours of questioning.

Lawson didn’t bother pretending to not understand the question, “I didn’t want to – didn’t plan to, but in the end I couldn’t go through with it. You two deserve to be happy…Tessa reminds me of my Ruth. She looks at you with the same stars in her eyes.”

Scott felt his confusion settle even further, “I don’t understand. You decide to sell out your country, but a single relationship is at stake and you risk everything?”

Anger flashed in Andrew’s eyes for the first time, “My country betrayed me. I was The General – The Chief of the Defense Staff. My opinion was courted – my favors sought. I was the highest ranking military officer in the country.”

Scott already knew this; he just wasn’t sure how it related.

If anything, it should have been a reason for Andrew to be more loyal to their flag.

“The Minister of Defense fucked up. He sent troops into an unauthorized zone and when Parliament found out, they wanted blood. I was the scapegoat. Overnight, my entire career was thrown out as if it hadn’t mattered. I was relegated to a security agency – I was stashed out of the way.”

White hot fury flashed through Scott’s entire frame, “You mean to tell me my wife is laying in a hospital bed because your pride was wounded? You wanted revenge on the people who consigned you to such a _terrible_ fate of running Canada’s _entire_ international security force?”

Andrew’s eyes lit with hope, “She’s alive?”

Scott contemplated letting the man squirm in misery, but he didn’t see the point now, “Yes, the doctors had given up hope, but she finally stabilized…I almost lost her.”

Lawson choked back a quiet sob, “Thank heavens…you know Scott that was actually the tipping point. I was angry after everything that happened, but it wasn’t until my Ruth got sick that I started helping them.”

The older man took a shuddering breath, “Her cancer was so aggressive, and the treatment was experimental so insurance wouldn’t pay for any of it. She was dying in front of my eyes and I couldn’t do anything to save her. That’s when Luca made his offer.”

Having recently faced the loss of Tessa, Scott could almost sympathize with the General, but that didn’t excuse his continued involvement.

Ruth had died three years ago.

Andrew continued his quiet confession, “All he wanted was data changes. He didn’t want state secrets or nuclear launch codes…he just wanted numbers altered. It was so abstract, and the money was good.”

Scott stood, “Did you ask for help? Did you look for any other recourse before falling into bed with the devil?”

Lawson’s gaze was tired, “I didn’t want to – and then I didn’t need to. I’m not trying to justify my behavior Scott, but if you stay in this game long enough you’re going to find that not everything is so straightforward. You’ll eventually sell at least a part of your soul…everyone does.”

There was a dull resignation in Andrew’s statement that alarmed Scott, wasn’t that what he had worried about and dealt with through months of therapy - that he would lose himself?

Walking towards the door, he turned back as Lawson offered one last statement, “For what it’s worth, I alerted Patrick before Tessa was shot. I contacted him the moment you arrived at the docks - before you got to the warehouse…I knew Luca wouldn’t let either of you live. Please tell Tessa…”

Scott knew his gaze was hard, but Andrew pressed forward, “If you want to – please tell Tessa that I’m sorry, and that she made a hell of an agent.”  

Turning to leave, Scott didn’t bother asking what would happen to him.

They could both already guess the answer.

Standing he took one last look at the man who had been like a second father – had known more about his life, on some levels, than his own biological father ever could.

He didn’t feel sorry for the man before him, but he did feel pity.

Bitterness, disillusionment, despair, and then greed had ruined his life and career.

Scott held his gaze, “I’ll tell her – I can’t say I understand or even can completely forgive you for what you did, but thank you…for being willing to be caught…for calling backup when you did. I’m not sure what I would have done if I lost her.”

He didn’t look back again – there was nothing left to say.

The guard who escorted him back to the surface allowed him to have plenty of personal space and didn’t try to initiate conversation even though it was clear the young man was almost beside himself in admiration.

Reclaiming his weapon Scott wandered the streets in a daze.

He had always believed that he was one of the good guys – that he was fighting for truth and justice.

If the man he respected so much could be corrupted, how was he supposed to maintain perspective?

How was he supposed to preserve the little bit of truth and identity that he had remaining?

Marie would have a field day with all of these questions…he was not looking forward to his next therapy session.

Shaking his head in an effort to clear it he looked around and realized he had wandered into an old section of town and had no idea where he was.

He thought about asking for directions or entering the hospital’s address into his phone. Instead, he pulled out his necklace.

For the first time since leaving Andrew, he smiled.

Tessa’s signal was coming through clear as the afternoon sun.

Following the heart shaped tracker, the irony of the situation didn’t escape him.

He had no idea where he was, and wasn’t sure what paths would lead him to his destination, but he knew exactly who would be waiting for him at the end of the journey.

* * *

_Three weeks later_

Scott lightly traced the scar that was starting to form on Tessa’s chest as she snuggled into his side.

He finally felt as if he could ask the question that had been on his mind since that awful night. “T do you remember anything about what happened after you were shot?”

She was silent for a few moments before replying, “I remember telling you I loved you…I think you asked about how to stop the bleeding. The doctor said you gave me a dose of poison and that it probably saved my life because it slowed my heart rate enough to reduce the amount of blood being pumped out. That’s a pretty impressive biological deduction.”

He smiled, “Well, I am married to the most brilliant woman on the planet – some of her wisdom was bound to rub off on me along the way.”

She rolled her eyes, offering him a small smile as she burrowed further into his embrace. Scott wasn’t going to prompt her further about anything that happened at the hospital.

If she hadn’t heard any of what he said or if she didn’t remember the hours he spent reading to her or holding her hand it didn’t matter.

He was just happy she was still here to hold.

She, on the other hand, was frowning at the far wall in concentration, “The next thing I really remember was when I woke up and you were asleep with your head on the bed. You looked so tired. The doctor said I had actually woken up a couple of times before, but I don’t  remember that. I think I had too much pain medication in my system at that point…but I do have the strangest memory or…I’m not sure how to describe it, maybe it was a dream...”

Scott stroked over her back in soothing motions wondering where she was headed with this, “I felt almost confused. I mean I was unconscious, but I think my body was fighting to stay alive. I felt as if my heart couldn’t decide if it wanted to race or stop altogether. In the middle of all that…I thought I could hear your heartbeat. I know I was probably just losing my mind, but I almost felt as if my heartbeat found yours and just started echoing it…crazy huh?”

He stared at her in disbelief. “T, I picked you up. It had been more than twenty-four hours and the doctors said your chances of recovery were almost non-existent. I needed to hold you one more time, so I picked you up and held you. You were laying on my chest, and I slept for the first time in that whole period. When I woke up the next morning the doctors said you had stabilized during the night. I didn’t think about it – at least not in the sense that hearing my heartbeat would help you.”

She half sat up in bed as her eyes lit with excitement before taking a small breath and thinking the better of it.

Rested her hand over his heart she offered a wry smile, “The scientist in me desperately wants to call a focus group and begin a scientific study, but I’m not sure how conclusive the evidence would be. After all, how many people spend almost every night listening to the same exact sound – the same rhythm, knowing it belongs to them?”

Scott felt like crying; instead he simply kissed his wife and resolved to be even more thankful that he had held her so closely for the past year.

It would have been tempting to have kept her at arms distance – to be careful and avoid getting hurt.

He could have even enjoyed a physical relationship without committing emotionally, but none of those options would have brought him to this moment, and while there were a million questions that needed to be answered and dozens of paths to choose from…he knew exactly who would be with him – every step of the journey.


	20. The Result

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have a short, but sweet epilogue. I deliberately kept the timing somewhat vague because I still haven't fully decided if my fictional Tessa and Scott retired after the events of the last chapter - or if they finished their five years. I wanted to leave the world open for future stories and I haven't been able to decide what that might look like - so believe what you like until I clarify otherwise? Thank you all for being so supportive and encouraging through this process. It has been so much fun to share this story with all of you. Enjoy!

Scott slipped into the back of the room, quickly scanning the crowd for a sight of the familiar dark hair and rich blue dress that he knew she was wearing.

He had the pictures to prove it…among other things.

The serving staff looked at him in curiosity, some clearly recognizing Dr. Virtue-Moir’s husband – others wondering about this late arrival to such a formal soiree.

Patrice was on stage extolling the benefits of higher education and the opportunities that it afforded – for both the youth and the future. “And now, it is my privilege to introduce you to your host for the evening, someone who has devoted her life to discovery, research, innovation, empathy, and outreach, Dr. Tessa Virtue-Moir.”

Scott couldn’t help the smile that blossomed across his face at the sight of his wife.

She was stunning as always, prepared, gracious, and generous as she discussed the need to support scholarship opportunities for underprivileged children.

Scott felt his heart swell in love and sheer happiness as he listened to Tessa talk.

At some point, she caught his eye and her smile became just a little brighter.

“I was incredibly privileged in my upbringing. I never had to worry about access to education or having the tools necessary to succeed. There are thousands of children around the country, and around the world, who do not share that same privilege.”

Scott knew this speech perfectly, she had sent it to him for review, and then revision, and then for final evaluation.

She was more than capable of writing her own material, but she claimed the process of talking through her thoughts was helpful.

He was more than willing to be a sounding board. They were still the perfect partnership.

They spent less time together since they had retired from CSIS and were truly working in their “real” jobs.

He had never been busier with Moir Global Security and Tessa had officially taken a step back as the VP of Research and Development.

She was chairing the foundation and that organization had flourished under her guidance.

Tonight’s fundraiser would raise hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not millions.

She still conducted research, claiming her brain would stagnate if she didn’t.

She had just been nominated for a Nobel Prize in Neuroscience for her breakthroughs in the field of neurotransmitters – particularly serotonin regulation.

If part of her motivation had been a selfish desire to make progress in the field of PTSD treatment…well nobody had to know that.

As she concluded with thanks to everyone involved in tonight’s event, she met his eyes once more, “And a very special thanks to my husband who has been an invaluable encouragement and support during the planning process for tonight. Enjoy the food, have a great evening, and be safe heading home.”

As she descended the stairs and people began to mingle she was, predictably, surrounded by a group of admirers.

Scott watched her for several minutes before pushing away from the wall and wandering towards her.

He stopped to talk with several people before arriving at the circle of her devotees for the evening.

Tessa’s green eyes met his in relief and a measure of hopefulness while the subtle shifting of her feet told him everything he needed to know about her decision to wear heels - against his recommendation.

Extending his hand, he offered a disarming smile to the group, “You will forgive me for stealing her away for a little while?”

Neither of them waited for the murmurs of reluctant acquiescence.

They were stopped a few times before exiting the room, but Scott was finally able to draw her into a quiet alcove.

“How are you feeling?”

Tessa practically sagged against him in relief.

His flight home from Brazil had been delayed, the caterers had brought black tablecloths and silver accents instead of the delicate linens she had chosen, and her feet were killing her, “I’m so tired, my feet hurt, and I’ve missed you.”

Scott pulled her into his embrace before thinking better of it and simply lifting her into his arms.

Tessa  let out a small squeal as Scott scooped her up, but the almost immediate relief in to her tired feet and swollen ankles made her want to weep with relief.

Scott nuzzled her neck as he found a stray chair, “And how are my other babies?”

He spread his large palm over the swell of her stomach.

Resting against her husband’s chest, Tessa moved his hand a little lower so that he could feel the incessant kicking, “At least one of them has decided that my internal organs are excellent punching bags – or perhaps they’re taking turns.”

Rubbing gentle circles over the abused area, Scott chided, “Buddy you need to let Mamma rest. After all, she’s letting you stay in there rent free this entire time.”

There was laughter in her eyes when he pulled away from her stomach.

Something close to an apologetic smile graced Scott’s face, “I’m sorry I can’t be more helpful at this stage. It’s probably our son…if he’s anything like the other Moir boys he’ll be quite the handful. Our baby girl is probably plotting world domination from your womb.”

Running her fingers through his curls, she rained a trail of kisses across his jaw, “Well, if he turns out like his father I suppose I can live with that, but who knows…maybe she’ll kick down doors and he’ll find the cure for cancer.”

Scott captured her lips for a true welcome home kiss before offering, “As long as they’re healthy, they can do whatever they want.”

Pulling away reluctantly and more than a little flushed, Tessa gently traced her thumb over his bottom lip, “We should go back. They’ll wonder where we went.”

Scott absently traced over her arm, “Ok, but the heels need to come off – your ankles are incredibly swollen.”

“I’m fine and I’m not going to walk around without…”

Scott gingerly set her back down on her own two feet and she could feel the immediate return of pressure – even pain as her feet protested.

Scott’s look was pointed as Tessa grumbled, “Alright…I’ll take them off.”

Helping her sit down, he knelt to remove the mess of straps and buckles that held her feet hostage.

When he actually ran his thumb up her arch and applied the lightest pressure to the balls of her feet Tessa contemplated going down on him right there in the middle of a public hallway – it felt so good.

Her husband’s grin was cross of smug, amused, and wolfish at her reaction, “Sensitive are we?”

She swatted his shoulder before standing once more, “Don’t be ridiculous. We need to go back before they think we’ve gotten lost.”

Scott pulled her back into his arms one last time, practically folding his body around hers before pressing a kiss to her temple, “Alright baby – babies…let’s go.”

* * *

 

Finally free to go home a few hours later, Tessa practically dozed against the door of the limo while Scott rubbed her tired feet.

Everything was better with him there, and he was right – it had been a ridiculous idea to wear heels all night when she was walking all over the venue.

Exhaustion competed with elation as Tessa contemplated the incredibly successful evening.

More than two million dollars had been raised for children’s education – the benefits of having rich acquaintances.

Slipping into bed, she curled around Scott’s pillow, inhaling his scent as she waited for him to join her.

When he finally stepped out of their en suite, she couldn’t help but lick her lips at the sight of his newly acquired tan and deliciously lean body.

Some days she still couldn’t believe he was hers – all hers.

He said the same about her on a regular basis, but there are times that she was forcibly reminded that they didn’t “belong” together.

Under normal circumstances, they shouldn’t have even met.

The thought of not knowing him, not getting to love him and be loved in return, of not sharing life, of missing out on the adventures of a lifetime, of never knowing just how big the world is outside of a lab makes her want to cry – and at six months pregnant it doesn’t take much to make that happen.

Scott felt his breath catch at the sight of Tessa.

She was stunning – no makeup, hair thrown into one of her haphazard buns, curled around his pillow as if were him.

Clearly, there’s something on her mind, and after all these years he’s become something of an expert on the many expressions and moods of Tessa – but he can’t place this one.

Lust is clearly at least part of the equation, but there are so many other emotions playing across her expression as she watches him.

Worry settles over his heart as a few tears slip down her face.

Sliding into bed and replacing the pillow with his chest, he pressed a kiss to her forehead, “Babe…what’s wrong?”

Sadness permeates her voice as she clings a little tighter, “I was thinking about how different my life would be if I hadn’t met you.”

Stroking slow patterns over her arm Scott considered her statement before questioning, “Bad different or good different?”

Pressing a kiss over his heart, Tessa promised, “I wouldn’t trade anything for this, for where we are now. I literally can’t imagine life without you, but I know that normal life and any number of choices we could have made would make this moment impossible.”

Scott squeezed her a little tighter, “Yet here we are. They matched us because we were the perfect counterbalance of skill-sets, but I love you because you’re the counterbalance of me. Our partnership isn’t perfect, but it’s perfect for us.”

Propping herself up on her elbow, Tessa searched his gaze, “So no urge to go skydiving yet?”

Pushing a stray hair behind her ear, he pulled her hand to his lips, “There is absolutely nowhere I would rather be. Loving you has been, and will continue to be the adventure of a lifetime.”

Capturing his lips with hers, Tessa felt breathless as she practically whispered, “Make love to me.”

He wasted no time in slipping a finger between her folds, spreading her wetness around and gently circling her clit before pushing a second finger into her heat.

Tessa whimpered at the contact before moving to straddle his hips.

There were only so many comfortable ways to do this when pregnant – especially when pregnant with twins – but she wanted to watch him fall apart tonight.

She wanted to watch his eyes as they took the leap together and shattered in vulnerability only to be put back together by love.

He moved his hands to her hips to help her move and keep her balance.

Keeping his thrusts shallow, he allowed her to set the pace.

When she began a chorus of noises somewhere between a mewl and a keen he moved his thumb back to her clit, “Come on baby…come for me T.”

Her inner walls clenched in a vice-grip around his cock, triggering his own release.

Tessa was almost cat-like in her relaxation as she practically draped herself over his chest.

She had almost drifted to sleep when Scott’s voice broke through the post-coital fog, “T, you do know that I’m still never driving a minivan…right?”

Rolling her eyes, she burrowed deeper into his arms, “We’ll just have to see about that…partner.”

Pressing one last kiss to her hair Scott whispered, “Love you T – more than you will ever know.”

Holding her in his arms was a privilege and a joy.

The journey had been fought with obstacles, pain, and danger, but it led them here, and that was more than enough.

* * *

The Players: Scott Moir - Retired Special Forces/CSIS Agent, CEO of Moir Global Security / Dr. Tessa Virtue-Moir - Retired VP of Virtue Designs/CSIS Agent, Chair VD Foundation, leading expert in biological agents/neural mapping

The Petitioner: The Canadian Government

The Proposal: Marry one another and become the most effective spy team in history

The Duration: Five years

The Hypothesis: His military/spy training and her biological/neural expertise will form an unstoppable force

The Result:...Success

 


End file.
